.  " 


. 


THE  SINGLE  TRACK 


The  single  track  railroad  was  indeed  assuming  form  and  a  semblance 

of  reality 


THE  SINGLE  TRACK 


BY 


DOUGLAS   GRANT 

AUTHOB  Of 

"  THE  FIFTH  ACE,"  "  BOOTY,"  etc. 


Frontispiece  by 
DOUGLAS  DUER 


NEW  YORK 
W.  J.  WATT  &   COMPANY 


PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT,  1919,  BY 
W.  J.  WATT  &  COMPANY 


PRESS  or 

BRAUNWOHTH    &    CO. 

BOOK    MA>JU-ACTUHEB8 

BROOKLYN.     N.     Y. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 
YEARS  OF  DISCRETION  ............ 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  I.  W.  W.  THING  ............  .  .  .  .......  .....  •    12 

CHAPTER  III 
JANNETTA  DECIDES  ......................  .......     26 


CHAPTER  IV 
THE  FAR  TRAIL  ...................  .  .....  .......     37 

CHAPTER  V 
KATALAK  ..............................  .......    60 

CHAPTER  VI 
THE  I.  W.  W.  THING  AGAIN  .....  .  .  .  ...........  .     73 


vi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  VII 

PAGE 

AN  ENEMY  AND  A  FRIEND.. , 86 

CHAPTER  VIII 
JANE  ROLLS  UP  HER  SLEEVES 100 

CHAPTER  IX 
THE  MAN  IN  THE  SHADOW 114 

CHAPTER  X 

PlETRO ,.  ..    128 

CHAPTER  XI 
HARVE  DUGDALE  COUNTS  TEN 142 

CHAPTER  XII 
AN  UNEXPECTED  ARRIVAL 157 

CHAPTER  XIII 
"J.  BARNABY  HOYT" 171 

CHAPTER  XIV 
REDDENED  SKIES 186 

CHAPTER  XV 
THE  MESSAGE 199 


CONTENTS  vii 

CHAPTER  XVI 


PAGE 


THE  COMING  OF  THE  "GREY  GULL" . ...  214 

CHAPTER  XVII 
THE  WIDENED  BREACH .. . .. •  -  •  •  •••'••  •  •  227 

CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  CALL  TO  ARMS 243 

CHAPTER  XIX 
THE  BATTLE  AT  THE  TRESTLE ....... •;•  ••••••  255 

CHAPTER  XX 
THE  RIGHT  OF  WAY ...*........• 


THE  SINGLE  TRACK 


CHAPTER  XXI 

.281 


THE  SINGLE  TRACK 


THE    SINGLE    TRACK 


CHAPTER  I 
YEARS  OF  DISCRETION 

JANETTA  crossed  her  pretty  feet  and  then  con- 
sidering that  posture  undignified  for  an  attorney's 
office,  uncrossed  them  again  and  jingled  her 
platinum  mesh  bag  in  impatience  much  as  a  child  would 
twiddle  its  pencil  in  the  last  trying  hour  of  school. 

"I  came  because  you  said  I  must,  Uncle  Andy,  but 
it's  perfectly  silly  to  talk  to  me,  for  I  don't  understand 
a  thing  about  mines  and  stocks  and  dividends!"  She 
glanced  with  a  little  pout  at  the  lawyer's  dour  face. 
"Besides  it's  my  birthday,  and  I  think  it  is  mean ' 

"It  is  precisely  because  it  is  your  birthday,  my  dear 
Janetta,  your  twenty-first  birthday,  that  it  is  necessary 
for  you  to  take  your  mind  from  frocks  and  frills  and 
flummery  long  enough  to  try  to  understand  your  finan- 
cial situation,"  Andrew  Geddes  interrupted  sternly. 
"You  are  no  longer  a  child  in  the  eyes  of  the  law  and 
the  time  has  come  for  you  to  take  an  active  and  in- 
telligent interest  in  your  own  affairs." 

Janetta  glanced  at  the  jeweled  watch  on  her  slender 
wrist  and  sighed.  She  would  certainly  be  late  for  that 


2  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

luncheon !  Then  hopefully  she  favored  Mr.  Geddes  with 
a  swift,  engaging  smile. 

"But  Uncle  Andy,  I  prefer  to  leave  everything  in 
your  hands  and  Ollie's;  I  do,  really!  You've  always 
managed  so  splendidly  since  grandfather  died  that  I 
would  much  rather  just  trust  you." 

"You'd  trust  anybody,  if  it  saved  you  from  bother  and 
responsibility!"  the  lawyer  snapped,  but  there  came  a 
little  tender  twinkle  into  his  shrewd  eyes.  "It  won't  do 
you  a  bit  of  good  to  smile  at  me  like  that,  Janetta 
Gildersleeve !  You  got  my  watch  away  from  me  that 
way  and  smashed  it  when  you  were  a  matter  of  three 
years  old,  but  you  can't  wheedle  me  now.  Of  course, 
you'd  rather  leave  everything  in  my  hands  and  go  on 
leading  your  butterfly  existence;  but  you  may  find  that 
it  will  last  just  about  as  long  as  the  existence  of  a  but- 
terfly does!  What  then?" 

A  certain  grimness  had  crept  into  his  tone,  the  twinkle 
disappeared,  and  Janetta  looked  again  at  him  in  bland 
bewilderment. 

"What  do  you  mean,  Uncle  Andy?"  she  asked  won- 
deringly.  "A  butterfly  lives  about  six  weeks,  doesn't  it? 
What  has  that  got  to  do  with  dividends  and  things?" 

"I  mean,  Janetta,  that  sometimes  property  depreciates, 
and  dividends  stop  coming."  Andrew  Geddes  paused 
and  then  added :  "You  must  try  to  understand  my  dear 
— do  you  even  know  what  a  dividend  is?" 

She  nodded  brightly. 

"Of  course,  Uncle  Andy!  It's  the  money  from  the 
mine,  and  it  comes  every  three  months  and  I  get  my 
share  on  the  fifth " 


YEARS    OF   DISCRETION  3 

"And  spend  it !"  Mr.  Geddes  interrupted.  "Now  sup- 
pose that  next  dividend  didn't  come;  what  would 
happen  ?" 

"Oh,  I  should  be  most  fearfully  in  debt!"  Janetta 
shrugged.  "You  would  probably  give  me  a  dreadful 
scolding  and  countermand  the  order  for  my  new 
car " 

"New  car !"  There  was  a  note  of  exasperation  in  the 
tone  he  had  tried  to  keep  very  gentle,  and  he  brought 
his  hand  down  emphatically  upon  the  desk  top.  "There'll 
be  no  new  car!  Now,  Janetta,  listen  to  me.  I  tried  to 
explain  to  you  a  year  ago  about  the  formation  of  the 
new  Northern  Star  Mining  Company " 

"You  did!"  agreed  Janetta  tearfully.  "You  explained 
till  my  head  ached  and  all  I  remember  is  that  the  North- 
ern Star  is  a  new  copper  mine  at  some  unpronounceable 
place  in  Alaska  and  that  Ollie  and  I  own  it,  though  it 
isn't  called  the  Gildersleeve  Copper  Company  any  more. 
I  don't  see  why.  Grandfather " 

"The  Gildersleeve  Copper  Company  failed  a  year  and 
a  half  ago,"  Andrew  Geddes  said  slowly. 

"Failed !"  Janetta  repeated  in  a  whisper.  The  flippant, 
petulant  look  was  gone.  "But  that  was  all  we  had! 
Where  did  the  dividends  come  from  since?" 

"Yours,  you  mean,  my  dear."  The  lawyer  spoke  with 
unwonted  gentleness  once  more.  "Against  my  better 
judgment  you  have  received  your  same  allowance  regu- 
larly, but  it  came  from  your  brother's  share  of  the 
capital  that  was  saved  from  the  wreck." 

"Oh,  I  love  Ollie  for  it,  but  you  shouldn't  have  per- 
mitted him  to  do  it !  You  ought  to  have  told  me  1  You 


4  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

know  I  would  never  have  taken  his  money,  like  a  selfish 
little  beast!"  The  words  came  in  a  quick  sobbing  rush. 
"So  that's  why  he  sold  his  polo  ponies  and  his  racing 
car!  If  I  had  only  known!" 

'"He  never  meant  that  you  should.  He  wanted  you 
to  have  all  the  fun  you  could,  but  there  are  more  in- 
portant  things  in  this  world  than  fun  and  it  is  time  you 
learned  the  truth.  Before  your  brother  went  to  France 
I  was  weak  enough  to  allow  him  to  persuade  me  against 
my  better  judgment,  but  now  I  feel  that  the  situation 
must  be  revealed  to  you." 

The  girl  whirled  upon  him.  Her  blue  eyes,  still  wet 
with  tears  had  narrowed  swiftly,  and  her  soft  chin  stood 
out  in  belligerent  firmness. 

"Uncle  Andy,  you  said  that  my  allowance  had  been 
paid  from  Ollie's  share  of  what  was  left.  Have  I  a 
share,  too?" 

The  old  man  nodded,  watching  her  keenly. 

"Of  course.    An  equal  share,  but  yours  is  intact." 

"How  much  have  you  given  to  me  since  the  failure?" 

"Um!  Let  me  see."  He  paused.  "Six  quarterly 
dividends  at  six  thousand;  a  matter  of  thirty-six  thou- 
sand, my  dear.  The  Gildersleeve  Company  was  rated 
before  the  smash-up  came  at  well  over  a  million  and 
your  brother  wouldn't  cut  you  down." 

"Well,  Uncle  Andy,  I  want  you  to  take  thirty-six 
thousand  dollars  from  my  money  and  pay  it  straight 
back  to  Ollie!"  Her  eyes  flashed  and  then  changed 
quickly  as  she  saw  the  look  upon  his  face.  Her  voice 
came  f alteringly,  almost  in  a  whisper  once  more :  "You 
mean — you  mean  that  I  haven't  thirty-six  thousand  left?" 


YEARS   OF  DISCRETION  5 

"My  dear,  you  may  have  a  mere  pittance — or  millions. 
It  all  depends  upon  the  next  three  months."  The  lawyer 
drew  forward  a  chair  and  patted  it  reassuringly.  "Sit 
down  and  try  to  compose  yourself.  You  haven't  asked 
me  yet  how  the  failure  came  about." 

"It  doesn't  matter,  does  it?"  The  girl  cried  as  she 
sank  limply  into  the  chair.  "As  long  as  it  did  hap- 
pen  " 

"It  didn't  'happen',"  Andrew  Geddes  remarked  crisply. 
"It  was  brought  about  deliberately,  relentlessly,  by  a  man 
who  carried  his  enmity  against  the  family  down  to  you 
children; — Gordon  Winfield." 

"Heavens !  And  I  danced  with  his  son  Ronald  at  the 
Cheevers'  last  night!"  Janetta  exclaimed,  adding  vi- 
ciously: "I — I  wish  I  had  trodden  on  him!" 

"I  didn't  know  you  knew  him."  The  lawyer's  face 
had  darkened. 

"I  don't;  I  met  him  then  for  the  first  time  and  I — I 
didn't  like  him !"  She  flushed.  "What  caused  the  enmity 
between  our  family  and  Gordon  Winfield?" 

"When  your  father  was  alive  and  in  the  mining  game 
with  your  grandfather,  they  caught  Winfield  in  a  crooked 
deal  and  threw  him  out  of  the  company.  He  prospered 
as  such  rascals  sometimes  do,  and  became  a  formidable 
adversary.  He's  been  after  us  for  a  long  while  and 
finally  he  got  us.  You  wouldn't  understand  the  details 
now;  it  is  enough  that  we  fought  fair  and  he — didn't." 
The  lawyer  removed  his  glasses  and  tapped  the  desk 
thoughtfully  with  them  as  he  went  on:  "We  saved 
enough  from  the  wreck,  however,  after  reserving  your 
allowance  for  a  limited  period,  to  purchase  the  new, 


6  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

undeveloped  Northern  Star  mine,  which  had  just  been 
discovered  up  near  Katalak.  We  sent  experts  there  and 
their  report  was  more  than  favorable ;  your  brother  went 
up  himself  last  spring  and  looked  it  over — you  remember, 
he  was  there  when  we  declared  war  and  went  in  for 
his  commission  immediately  upon  his  return.  We  bought 
the  Northern  Star,  forming  a  dummy  company  under 
the  name  of  the  mine  itself." 

"And  it's — it's  turned  out  to  be  not  any  good  after 
all?"  Janetta  asked,  with  a  piteous  little  droop  to  her 
lips. 

"On  the  contrary,  it  is  a  wonder!"  Mr.  Geddes  re- 
torted dryly.  "But  you  see,  Janetta,  it  is  thirty  miles 
up  country  in  the  mountains.  We  need  a  railroad  to 
get  the  ore  down  to  Katalak  Bay,  and  wharfage  there 
for  steamers  to  take  it  to  the  smelting  centers  at 
Tacoma." 

"Then  build  one!"  Janetta's  foot  tapped  the  floor 
impatiently.  "Haven't  we  enough  money,  Uncle  Andy  ?" 

"It  isn't  that,  my  dear.  But  another  mine  has  been 
discovered  not  far  from  the  Northern  Star,  and  the 
company  which  owns  it,  the  Unatika,  also  want  that 
railroad  into  Katalak  and  waterfront  properties  there." 

"Isn't  there  room  enough  for  two?  Goodness,  I 
thought  Alaska  was  big  enough!" 

Andrew  Geddes  shook  his  head. 

"Only  one  can  have  the  right  of  way  and  the  company 
which  establishes  its  railroad  first  obtains  possession. 
If  the  Unatika  Company  beat  us  to  the  port  we  can 
have  no  transportation  facilities  and  the  Northern  Star 
will  be  unworkable.  They  are  trying  to  do  it,  by  fair 


YEARS    OF   DISCRETION  7 

means  or  foul,  because  they  know  that  if  they  succeed 
we  will  have  only  one  recourse  left — to  sell  the  Northern 
Star  mine  to  them  at  their  own  price.  And  that  means 
virtual  ruin." 

He  had  explained  patiently  as  though  to  a  child  and 
Janetta  sat  motionless,  her  eyes  fixed  upon  the  square, 
bronze- framed  calendar  on  the  desk  from  which  the 
date  "April  23rd,  1918"  stared  uncompromisingly  back 
at  her.  A  tiny  red  spot  was  beginning  to  glow  in  her 
cheeks  and  at  the  last  words  she  tossed  her  head. 

"But  we  are  going  to  beat  them,  aren't  we?  We're 
going  to  get  our  railroad  established  first?" 

"I  don't  know.  We  are  going  to  try  our  level  best, 
but  they  are  endeavoring  to  beat  us  by  fair  means  and 
foul ;  mostly  foul.  There's  queer  work  going  on  up 
there,  crooked  work,  Janetta.  These  Unatika  people 
will  stop  at  nothing  to  gain  their  ends." 

''Who  are  they?"  Janetta's  tone  was  undaunted,  but 
one  hand  went  to  her  breast  as  though  she  felt  a  little 
sinking  sensation  there. 

"A  group  of  copper  operators  here  in  Wall  Street. 
They  have  always  kept  within  the  law  but  they  have 
been  mixed  up  in  so  many  shady  transactions  that  they 
have  no  standing  among  the  big  fellows,  although  they 
are  sound  enough  as  far  as  capital  goes." 

"Like  Mr.  Winfield?"  She  paused  and  then  asked 
suddenly:  "Is  Mr.  Winfield  one  of  them?  I  mean,  is 
he  in  this  Unatika  Company?" 

"Good  Lord,  no!"  The  lawyer  stirred  impatiently  in 
his  chair.  "They  are  just  a  ring  of  the  smaller  fry." 

"What  sort  of — of  crooked  work  are  they  doing?" 


8  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

"Well,  we  have  had  a  lot  of  delays  and  accidents, 
too  many  to  have  occurred  in  the  natural  course  of 
events.  I  am  convinced — although  we  have  no  actual 
proof — that  the  Unatika  people  bribed  our  engineer. 
Anyway  we  sacked  him  and  now  I  am  sending  up  a 
younger,  less  experienced  chap  to  take  charge.  He  seems 
efficient  and  he  has  a  good  clean  record;  all  we  can 
hope  for  is  that  he  will  maintain  it." 

Janetta  twisted  her  watch  bracelet  about  on  her  wrist 
reflectively. 

"Are  you  positive  that  those  mishaps  weren't  real 
accidents  ?"  She  looked  up  at  the  lawyer.  "What  makes 
you  think  that  the  Unatika  Company  want  the  Northern 
Star  any  more  than  we  want  their  old  mine?  If  we  win 
out,  won't  we  have  them  in  the  same  position  as  that 
into  which  they  are  trying  to  put  us?" 

Andrew  Geddes  chuckled. 

"There  spoke  your  grandfather!  I  knew  his  blood 
would  show  out  in  you  sooner  or  later  underneath  all 
this  society  frippery!  Yes,  my  dear!  If  we  win  out 
we'll  have  them  at  our  mercy,  but  we'll  play  fair;  they 
won't.  That  is  the  difference.  As  to  their  wanting  the 
Northern  Star,  they  have  tried  to  juggle  it  away  from 
us  by  every  other  means  under  the  sun.  Now  it  has 
come  down  to  a  race  for  that  railroad.  We  are  ahead 
of  them,  so  far,  in  spite  of  their  chicanery;  we  have 
our  equipment  partly  assembled,  but  that  is  all.  The 
real  work  hasn't  begun." 

"But  it  will  take  money,  heaps  and  heape  of  it,  won't 
it?  I  don't  mean  only  the  railroad  and  wharves  but 
developing  the  mine  itself."  Janetta  clenched  her  small 


YEARS   OF   DISCRETION  9 

fists.  "That  thirty-six  thousand — oh,  you  shouldn't  have 
given  it  to  me !  You  ought  to  have  told  me  before,  and 
so  should  Ollie!  I  feel  like— like  a  criminal!" 

"We  didn't  need  it,  my  dear,"  the  lawyer  assured 
her  consolingly.  "There  are  a  few  thousand  left  still 
of  the  amount  we  had  set  aside  for  your  allowance  and 
we  were  sure  that  the  Northern  Star  would  begin  to 
pay  dividends,  real  ones,  before  that  was  exhausted. 
It  would,  too,  if  it  hadn't  been  for  the  interference  of 
this  Unatika  crowd.  Now,  if  our  road  isn't  established 
first,  all  the  money  you  have  spent  would  'have  been  of 
no  use  in  saving  the  Northern  Star." 

"Well,  there  will  be  no  more  spent !"  Janetta  declared 
with  vehemence.  "I'll  countermand  the  order  for  my 
new  car  myself,  and  I'll  sell  my  electric  and  the  little 
roadster,  too.  It's  funny  I  didn't  hear  of  the  failure 
of  our  own  company;  goodness  knows  I  hear  all  the 
other  gossip  of  our  set.  I  suppose  no  one  dared  men- 
tion it  to  me  when  they  saw  I  was  keeping  everything 
up  just  as  we  always  had.  I  believe  Persis  Cheever 
did  try  to  talk  to  me  once  or  twice  about  economizing, 
but  I  only  laughed  at  her!" 

"No  one  but  Winfield  himself  knew  how  closely  we 
had  been  driven  to  the  wall."  Andrew  Geddes  smiled 
grimly.  "I  took  care  of  that.  Most  people  thought 
we  closed  out  to  reorganize." 

"They  won't  think  so  any  longer."  Janetta's  chin  be- 
came once  more  in  evidence.  "When  I  told  you  that 
if  the  next  dividends,  as  you  let  me  believe  them  to 
be,  were  stopped  I  should  be  fearfully  in  debt  I  didn't 
mean  that  I  had  spent  all  the  last;  I  meant  for  what 


TO  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

I  intended  to  buy.  Now  I  am  going  to  close  that  big 
house;  it's  been  ridiculous,  anyway,  to  keep  it  open  all 
this  long  time  that  Ollie  has  been  away.  I'll  get  rid 
of  Mrs.  Everton;  I've  been  more  of  a  chaperone  for 
her  than  she  has  for  me,  anyway,"  Janetta  continued. 
"I  can  go  to  stay  with  the  Cheevers  for  a  while  until 
we  know  how  the  road  is  coming  out." 

"You  are  right,"  Andrew  Geddes  replied  emphatically. 
"If  we  lose  to  the  Unatika  crowd  you  cannot  begin  to 
retrench  too  quickly.  That  was  why  I  decided  that  you 
must  be  told  to-day;  I  thought  you  had  it  in  you  to 
be  sensible.  Not  that  I  believe  they  will  succeed  in 
their  game,  but  I  don't  count  on  a  thing  until  it  has 
gone  through,  and  with  your  brother  fighting  off  there 
in  France  I  did  not  dare  take  the  responsibility  of 
keeping  you  longer  in  ignorance.  I  don't  want  you  to 
be  downhearted,  though,  my  child.  Our  equipment  will 
all  be  assembled  before  theirs  has  begun  to  arrive,  and 
then  the  fun  will  commence." 

Janetta  drew  a  deep  breath. 

"Can  you  trust  this  young  engineer  you  are  sending 
up  there?" 

"We  must,"  the  lawyer  responded  tersely.  "We  can 
only  hope  that  he  is  on  the  level  and  has  nerve  and 
brains  enough  to  put  the  road  through  in  spite  of  them. 
Try  to  retrench  all  you  can,  and  I  will  take  care  of 
you." 

"Don't  worry  about  me,  or  the  mine  either!"  In 
spite  of  her  efforts  her  voice  had  begun  to  tremble  and 
her  smile  wavered,  but  it  was  with  a  smile,  for  all 
that,  that  she  faced  him  as  she  rose.  "Our  road  will 


YEARS   OF   DISCRETION  ii 

go  through,  I  know  it,  and  when  Ollie — when  Ollie 
comes  back,  we'll  both  be  rich !  Uncle  Andy,  may  I  go 
now,  please?  I — I  want  to  go  home." 

"Yes,  my  dear.  I'll  see  you  to-morrow."  Andrew 
Geddes'  own  voice  was  suspiciously  husky,  and  he 
averted  his  face  as  he  fumbled  with  some  papers  on 
the  desk  before  him. 

Janetta  took  his  hand  and  gripped  it  very  tightly  for 
a  moment,  but  no  words  came.  Then  she  turned,  her 
small  head  held  high,  and  walked  slowly  from  the 
room. 


CHAPTER  IT 
THE  I.  W.  W.  THING 

THE  luncheon  given  in  her  honor  was  wholly  for- 
gotten, and  when  she  reached  home  Janetta 
crept  to  her  own  room  and  burst  into  a  flood 
of  tears.  Being  a  very  human  girl  and  having  known 
little  beyond  the  butterfly  existence  of  which  Andrew 
Geddes  had  spoken,  she  felt  a  sense  of  flat  desolation. 
Her  brother  had  had  to  go  to  war,  of  course,  but  to 
have  had  everything  swept  away  from  her  in  this  past 
year;  her  brother,  and  now  her  home,  the  comfortable 
income  which  had  seemed  as  sure  as  the  ages!  It  was 
too  awful,  and  on  her  birthday,  too! 

A  maid  tapped  with  patient  insistence  at  the  door, 
summoning  her  to  the  telephone,  but  Janetta  only  sniffed 
and  told  her  to  go  away.  An  hour  later  a  more  authori- 
tative knock  sounded,  and  with  a  sigh  the  girl  rose  and 
admitted  an  older  woman,  tall,  and  sinuously  slender, 
whose  delicately  pretty  face  was  marred  by  an  expres- 
sion of  petulant  impatience. 

"Good  heavens,  Janey!  What  on  earth  do  you  mean 
by  sulking  in  your  room  and  refusing  to  answer  the 
'phone  and  spoiling  Persis  Cheever's  luncheon?  It  was 

most  embarrassing  and  everyone "  Mrs.  Everton 

paused,  and  her  manner  softened  quickly  at  the  sight 

12 


THE   I.   W.   W.   THING  13 

of  the  girl's  tear-stained  face.  "Why,  my  dear!  What 
has  happened?" 

"I  have  a  frightful  headache,  Adele."  Janetta  turned 
away  from  the  other's  searching  eyes.  "And  I'm  ter- 
ribly lonely  without  Ollie  on  my  birthday.  Nothing 
seems  to  matter,  somehow.  I — the  world  is  just  simply 
turned  upside  down.  He's  all  I  have,  you  know." 

"You  have  me,"  Mrs.  Everton  ventured  plaintively, 
but  she  sighed  as  though  that  fact  were  not  a  wholly 
welcome  one  for  her  own  contemplation.  "With  all 
these  war  charities  and  things  which  have  kept  you 
busy  from  morning  to  night  I  should  think  you  could 
manage  to  kill  time  quickly  enough  until  it  is  all  over 
and  he  comes  back." 

"It  isn't  only  that."  Janetta's  tears  had  long  since 
ceased  and  the  new  look  of  firmness  born  of  the  revela- 
tions of  the  morning  had  returned  to  her  face.  "I  don't 
want  to  kill  time  any  longer.  I  want  to  make  "use  of 
it,  Adele;  make  it  count  for  something.  I  should  like 
to  go  in  for  some  real,  practical  war  work,  to  feel  that 
I  were  helping,  too;  helping  Ollie." 

"I  think  that  is  a  splendid  idea."  Mrs.  Everton's 
face  lighted  and  she  went  on  with  suspicious  enthusiasm. 
"Now,  if  you  could  get  in  some  nice,  clean,  really  smart 
private  hospital,  and  take  a  course  in  nursing " 

"  'Nursing?'  "    Janetta  eyed  her  curiously. 

"Oh,  I  don't  mean  the  messy  part,  of  course,  but 
reading  to  the  convalescents  and  arranging  flowers,  and 
smoothing  their  foreheads  and  being  nice  and  comfort- 
ing generally,"  Mrs.  Everton  explained  vaguely  but 
eagerly.  "It  is  quite  the  thing  now,  you  know,  and 


14  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

so  much  more  feminine  than  the  motor  corps.  Heaps 
of  the  nicest  girls  have  taken  it  up.  There  is  a  three- 
month's  course — intensive,  they  call  it — and  you  could 
stay  right  there  at  the  hospital " 

"Adele,  do  you  mean  that  you  have  other  plans  for 
yourself?"  Janetta  interrupted  her  suddenly.  "You  are 
tired  of  our  arrangement?  Of  chaperoning  me,  I 
mean  ?" 

"Heavens,  no,  child !  Whatever  put  such  an  idea  into 
your  head?  I  wouldn't  think  of  leaving  you,  especially 
now  while  Ollie  is  in  France."  There  was  a  hurried 
insincerity  in  her  protestation  which  confirmed  the  girl's 
thought. 

"But  if  Ollie  were  here?"  Janetta  queried. 

"Well,  I  thought  it  would  be  nice  if  you  decided  to 
take  up  hospital  work  for  the  next  few  months.  It 
would  occupy  your  mind  and  all  that,  and  then  if  you 
stayed  there  for  the  course  you  wouldn't  need  me." 
The  lady  paused  in  evident  confusion  and  added :  "You 
see,  a  friend  has  asked  me  to  take  a  long  trip  West 
with  her  in  her  uncle's  car;  but  it  really  doesn't  matter. 
I  should  not  have  mentioned  it " 

"Why  not?"  Janetta  spoke  very  slowly.  Had  Mrs. 
Everton  an  inkling  of  the  truth?  Was  she  deserting 
the  sinking  ship?  "The  change  would  be  splendid  for 
you,  Adele." 

Mrs.  Everton  flushed. 

"I  wouldn't  dream  of  it  under  the  circumstances,  my 
dear !  I  declined  twice,  but  Grace  Winfield  is  so  in- 
sistent  " 

"Grace  Winfield?"  Janetta  repeated  sharply. 

"Yes.    We  were  at  school  together,  although  she  was 


THE   I.    W.    W.   THING  15 

in  a  younger  class.  I  don't  think  you  know  her;  she 
has  been  living  with  relatives  in  Baltimore  since  the 
war  drove  her  home  from  abroad.  You  met  her  cousin 
Ronald  last  night." 

"Then  she  is  Gordon  Winfield's  niece?  It  is  his 
private  car  in  which  you  are  going  West " 

"But  I  am  not  going,  Janey!  How  can  you  think  I 
would  leave  you  alone?"  Mrs.  Everton  cried  reproach- 
fully. 

"It  really  doesn't  matter  about  me  and  I  think  it  is 
a  trip  which  you  would  enjoy,"  replied  Janetta.  "I 
won't  need  a  chaperone  for  the  next  few  months,  in 
any  case.  We'll  talk  it  over  with  Mr.  Geddes  when 
he  comes  to-morrow.  Whether  I  go  into  hospital  work 
or  not  I  mean  to  do  something  real  and  I  shan't  have 
any  time  for  social  things." 

The  mention  of  the  Winfields  had  sealed  her  lips 
as  to  the  other  change  which  had  come  into  her  life. 
Whether  Adele  Everton  had  been  aware  of  the  actual 
failure  of  the  Gildersleeve  Company  and  its  cause  or 
not,  it  seemed  to  Janetta  that  the  other  had  gone  over 
to  the  erstwhile  enemy,  and  although  nothing  more  than 
a  surface  fondness  existed  between  the  girl  and  her 
professional  chaperone  she  felt  a  fresh  pang  of  sundered 
ties.  She  would  have  been  compelled,  in  any  event, 
to  dispense  with  Mrs.  Everton's  social  services  and  she 
tried  to  console  herself  with  the  thought  that  the  way 
had  been  providentially  paved  for  her,  but  it  brought  no 
comfort. 

Everything  that;  had  been  familiar  and  commonplace 
and  secure  seemed  all  at  once  to  be  sweeping  from  her 
on  a  resistless  tide  and  the  shock  left  her  bewildered 


16  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

and  numb.  The  future  which  only  that  morning  had 
appeared  so  certain  as  to  merit  no  consideration  now 
loomed  blackly  before  her,  a  hideous  waste  of  desolation 
with  unknown  pitfalls  of  loneliness  and  possible  poverty, 
and  she  could  only  gaze  upon  it  with  a  blank  stare  of 
unbelief. 

Yet  when  Mrs.  Everton  had  left  her,  all  other 
thought  was  crowded  from  Janetta's  mind  by  the  pros- 
pect of  her  brother's  possible  return  to  face  financial 
ruin.  He  had  not  only  gone  to  the  supreme  hazard, 
but  his  very  absence  at  this  crucial  time  in  his  affairs 
placed  his  future,  if  he  did  ijeturn,  in  jeopardy.  Woman- 
like, she  lost  for  the  moment  the  greater  vision  in  the 
lesser,  nearer  one.  There  were  so  many  who  had  set 
their  houses  in  order  and  left  with  a  high  heart  se- 
cure in  the  future  if  death  passed  them  by,  but  what 
if  Ollie  were  to  return  maimed,  perhaps,  to  find  himself 
ruined  and  her  a  useless  burden  on  his  hands? 

Janetta  sprang  up  and  paced  the  floor  of  her  room. 
Ollie  would  come  back  to  her,  whole  and  sound;  she 
must  not  permit  herself  to  think  of  any  other  possi- 
bility. And  the  road  would  go  through,  up  there  in 
Alaska !  That  new,  young  engineer  could  not  fail !  Her 
remembrance  of  Ollie's  sacrifice  in  providing  for  her 
from  his  own  capital  during  the  past  anxious  months 
brought  a  blur  of  tears  to  her  eyes,  but  she  brushed 
them  angrily  aside.  She  would  show  him,  and  Uncle 
Andy,  too,  that  she  was  not  the  mere  butterfly  they 
thought  her.  She  would  learn  to  do  some  real  work 
and  then  if  that  horrid  rival  company  did  swallow  up 
the  Northern  Star  mine,  after  all,  she  would  prove  her- 
self a  help  and  not  a  burden! 


THE   I.   W.   W.   THING  17 

That  she  was  totally  untrained  in  any  but  the  social 
graces  which  her  position  demanded  of  her  Janetta  did 
not  stop  to  consider;  she  only  realized  with  an  un- 
precedented revulsion  of  feeling  that  the  whole  order  of 
her  existence  had  become  shallow,  futile  and  odiously 
repugnant.  Even  the  dinner  dance  which  was  being 
given  in  honor  of  her  birthday  that  evening  and  to  which 
she  had  looked  forward  even  after  a  long  and  crowded 
season  with  joyous  anticipation,  now  seemed  an  ordeal 
impossible  to  be  faced,  and  impulsively  she  called  up 
her  prospective  hostess  and  pleaded  an  indisposition, 
much  to  Mrs.  Everton's  disgust  when  that  lady  heard 
of  her  decision. 

"It  is  ridiculous  for  you  to  take  Ollie's  absence  on 
your  birthday  in  such  a  silly,  tragic  fashion !"  she  ex- 
claimed. "It  is  positively  selfish  to  spoil  everyone  else's 
pleasure.  Ollie  would  be  the  last  to  want  you  to  make 
a  martyr  of  yourself." 

"My  remaining  at  home  need  not  interfere  with  you, 
Adele,"  the  girl  responded  rather  wearily.  "I  really 
want  to  be  alone,  if  you  don't  mind,  and  I  will  just 
have  something  sent  up  on  a  tray " 

"On  your  birthday,  of  all  times!"  Mrs.  Everton 
shrugged.  "I  never  found  you  difficult  to  understand 
before,  but  I  must  say  your  moods  are  beyond  me 
to-day." 

She  departed  and  Janetta  dined  miserably  alone  in  her 
room.  If  this  was  what  it  meant  to  reach  years  of 
discretion,  this  sudden  heaping  up  of  troubles  and  re- 
sponsibilities and  downright  disaster,  then  she  wished 
with  all  her  sore  heart  that  she  had  never  had  to  grow 
iup!  Why  couldn't  she  buck  up  and  be  brave  and  un- 


i8  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

selfish?  Was  she  really  only  the  butterfly,  one  of  the 
army  of  women  whom  a  hothouse  existence  had  made 
useless  and  utterly  frivolous? 

The  sense  of  self-disgust  brought  with  it  a  combative 
spurt  of  energy,  and  the  silence  of  the  house  seemed  to 
stifle  her.  If  she  dared  she  would  send  for  the  little 
roadster  and  go  for  a  long  spin  alone  in  the  cool  night 
air.  Mrs.  Everton  would  be  horrified,  of  course,  but 
a  chaperone  would  soon  be  of  small  moment  in  her 
life,  and  no  one  need  ever  know,  anyway. 

She  'phoned  for  the  car,  then  slipping  on  a  warm 
coat  and  heavy  veil  she  stole  down  the  stairs.  Caution 
was  useless,  however,  for  Peddar,  the  old  butler  who 
had  served  her  grandfather,  came  padding  along  the 
hall,  looking  the  question  he  was  too  well  trained  to  ask. 

"Has  the  car  come  yet  ?"  Janetta  spoke  with  assumed 
indifference. 

"Car,  miss?"  Peddar's  tone  was  respectfully  in- 
quiring, but  he  eyed  her  with  the  same  look  of  suspicion 
as  when  he  had  caught  her  in  the  pantry  years  before. 
"I  wasn't  aware  that  Mrs.  Everton  was  to  send  it 
back " 

"I  mean  the  roadster,"  Janetta  interrupted. 

"Roadster?"  Peddar  repeated,  his  eyes  bulging.  "Oh, 
miss,  does  Mrs.  Everton  know?" 

"She  doesn't,  and  neither  do  you,  Peddar,"  Janetta 
informed  him  firmly.  "There's  the  car,  now.  You 
haven't  seen  me  leave  my  room." 

"Very  good,  miss."  Peddar's  accents  were  resigned, 
but  he  sighed  lugubriously  as  he  closed  the  door  after 
the  exit  of  his  young  mistress.  To  his  mind  this  noc- 
turnal expedition  boded  mischief. 


THE   I.    W.   W.   THING  19 

The  little  car  ran  like  a  breeze,  and  the  soft  spring 
air  was  as  exhilarating  as  wine  to  the  girl's  drooping 
spirits.  She  headed  north,  skimming  daringly  between 
and  around  the  occasional  careening  taxis,  and  when 
she  reached  the  outskirts  of  the  city  unconsciously  in- 
creased her  speed,  her  thoughts  busied  with  the  difficult 
months  before  her. 

She  did  not  realize  that  the  time  was  passing  even 
as  her  little  car  was  eating  up  the  road  ahead,  and  that 
the  lights  were  diminishing  in  the  suburban  cottages  she 
flew  by.  When  at  length  the  lateness  of  the  hour  dawned 
upon  her,  she  was  far  on  the  Post  road  and  to  return  the 
way  she  had  come  would  take  a  longer  time  than  she 
cared  to  consider. 

Just  ahead  she  knew  that  there  was  a  short  cut,  nar- 
row and  deeply  rutted  from  the  frost  of  the  late  winter, 
but  every  inch  of  it  was  familiar  ground  to  her,  and  she 
decided  to  chance  it. 

She  swung  about  the  sharp  turn  and  bumped  along 
over  the  rough  road,  her  mind  once  more  fixed  upon 
her  own  problem.  Yet  had  she  but  known  it,  a  decision 
was  upon  her  far  more  immediately  momentous  than 
that  of  her  problematic  future.  The  road  was  dark  and 
narrow  and  densely  tree-lined,  and  no  warning  save  a 
belated  shout  reached  her  consciousness  as  she  swept 
around  a  forgotten  turn,  head  on  into  an  approaching 
car. 

There  was  one  alternative — a  mad  dash  into  that  tree- 
bordered  side  path.  Even  as  the  headlights  of  the  other 
car  flashed  into  her  eyes,  the  girl  gritted  her  small 
teeth  and  flung  the  wheel  over. 

The  dark  pillar  of  a  tree  trunk  rose  menacingly  be- 


20  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

fore  her  and  instinctively  she  swerved  to  avoid  it,  set- 
ting her  brakes  with  a  reckless  disregard  of  gears,  then 
femininely  closing  her  eyes  to  await  the  inevitable 
smash-up.  But  it  did  not  come.  Instead,  above  the 
shriek  of  protesting  metal  there  reached  her  ears  a 
sharp  human  cry,  a  hideous  crunching,  and  the  roadster 
came  to  a  stop  with  its  headlights  a  bare  inch  or  two 
from  a  stone  wall. 

She  heard  a  volley  of  shouts  and  imprecations,  and 
opened  her  eyes  to  see  the  other  car  speeding  away,  its 
occupants  vociferating  their  indignation  until  their  voices 
were  lost  in  the  distance. 

She  had  missed  them  by  a  miracle!  But  if  they  were 
unhurt,  what  had  that  horrible  cry  meant  which  still 
rang  in  her  ears? 

Janetta  glanced  behind  her  and  saw  that  at  the  foot 
of  that  tree  which  she  herself  had  just  escaped  a  dark 
huddled  form  lay,  while  a  tall  figure  bent  above  it,  and 
groans  in  a  reassuringly  hearty  voice  burst  upon  the  air. 

"Get  out  of  that  car  and  bring  a  lamp  here!"  a  voice 
ordered  none  too  gently.  Its  accents  bore  traces  of 
unmistakable  education,  however,  and  Janetta  climbed 
out  of  the  roadster  and  meekly  complied. 

As  the  lamp  flashed  upon  the  pair  beneath  the  tree, 
the  standing  figure  straightened  with  an  exclamation  of 
surprise. 

"A  girl,  eh?  Might  have  known  it  would  take  a 
woman  to  turn  a  fool  trick  like  that." 

Janetta's  blue  eyes  flashed  angrily  up  into  a  pair  of 
contemptuously  stormy  brown  ones  and  then  down  to 
the  man  lying  at  her  feet,  and  a  little  cry  of  horrified 
contrition  escaped  her. 


THE   I.   W.   W.   THING  21 

"Oh,  is  he  dead?" 

The  question  was  obviously  superfluous,  for  the  deep 
groans  issuing  from  the  unshaven  lips  of  the  fallen 
man  had  continued  with  unabated  fervor,  but  they  gave 
way  now  to  speech. 

"It's  killed  entirely  I  am!  What  is  this  country 
comin'  to  when  a  decent  man  can't  lie  down  f'r  a  bit 
of  a  sleep  without  the  rich  comin'  along  and  ridin'  over 
him?  My  head's  broke  and  my  back — ouch!  Call  f'r 
th'  ambulance,  call  f'r  the  police " 

The  accents  were  thick,  and  as  she  bent  over  him  the 
reek  of  liquor  assailed  the  girl.  She  drew  back,  relieved 
but  still  shuddering,  for  there  was  a  cut  upon  the  man's 
stubby  chin  which  to  her  frightened  gaze  seemed  like  a 
murderous  gash. 

"I  don't  think  he  is  badly  hurt,"  the  young  man  who 
had  called  to  her  volunteered.  "We'll  lift  him  up  and 
see.  If  you  will  take  his  arm " 

"Oh,  I  couldn't!"  Janetta  drew  back  instinctively. 
"There — there  is  blood  all  over  his  face "  y 

"Afraid  of  it,  are  you?"  The  young  man's  tone  was 
almost  deliberately  insulting  in  its  contempt.  "You 
caused  it,  you  know.  But  keep  back;  don't  soil  your 
hands !  I  can  manage  without  your  help." 

"But  I  want  to  help!"  Janetta  wailed  indignantly. 
"You  have  no  right  to  speak  so  to  me !  I — I  never  saw 
blood  before;  anyone  hurt  like  this,  I  mean.  I  have 
my  purse  back  in  the  car.  I'll  give  him  some  money " 

"That  would  be  about  your  idea  of  practical  help, 
wouldn't  it?"  The  young  eyed  her  with  open  insolence, 
yet  of  a  curiously  impersonal  sort.  "Stand  aside, 
please." 


22  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

As  he  assisted  the  tramp  to  his  feet  it  was  evident  that 
the  latter  individual  did  not  share  the  younger  man's 
contempt  for  financial  amelioration.  His  small  eyes 
gleamed  avidly  at  the  girl,  and  he  mumbled: 

"Hand  over  the  money.  I'm  hurt  bad  and  I  could 
make  a  lot  of  trouble  for  you,  young  lady,  but  if  you 
give  me  a  good  big  wad  I " 

"Here,  none  of  that !"  the  young  man  interrupted, 
but  Janetta  had  already  flown  back  to  the  roadster. 
She  had  left  the  motor  lamp  on  the  ground  by  the  tree, 
and  she  was  compelled  to  fumble  about  for  a  moment 
or  two  before  her  fingers  touched  the  cold  meshes  of  her 
platinum  bag. 

When  she  returned  she  found  a  first  aid  kit  lying 
beside  the  lamp,  and  saw  that  the  young  man  was  giving 
the  finishing  touches  to  a  neat  white  bandage  about 
her  victim's  head. 

"He'll  do  now,"  the  former  announced,  adding  hastily : 
"Here,  what  are  you  doing?" 

For  the  girl  had  opened  her  bag  and  was  pouring  its 
contents  into  the  grimy  outstretched  hands  of  the  tramp. 
The  young  man  deliberately  took  it  from  her,  ignoring 
alike  her  exclamation  of  surprise  and  the  protestations 
of  the  eager  recipient. 

Stooping  down  to  the  light  he  counted  the  bills, 
selected  two  and  handed  them  to  the  tramp,  returning 
the  rest  to  the  bag. 

"No,  you  don't!"  The  surly  voice  was  raised  men- 
acingly. "You  gimme  the  wad,  or  I'll  have  the  law 
on  the  young  woman  for  runnin'  me  down.  I  know 
my  rights " 

"Please  give  it  to  him!"  Janetta  pleaded  with  unac- 


THE   I.   W.   W.   THING  23 

customed  meekness.  The  accident  had  shaken  her  out 
of  her  usual  poise,  and  she  had  never  met  anyone  quite 
like  this  rude,  masterful  young  person  who  treated  her 
as  if  she  might  have  been  just  nobody.  "Give  him 
all  of  it  and  get  rid  of  him,  if  he  really  isn't  hurt !" 

"I  am  hurt,  and  bad,  too !"  the  tramp  asserted.  "You 
gimme  that  money  or  it'll  be  the  worse  for  the  two  of 
you !" 

The  young  man  apparently  had  not  heard  Janetta's 
urging  cry.  His  brown  eyes  were  flashing  ominously 
as  he  faced  the  tramp,  and  pointed  down  the  road. 

"There's  a  place  where  you  can  get  a  drink  and  a 
bed  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  that  way,"  he  said  shortly. 
"That's  all  the  money  you'll  get,  and  if  you  don't  beat 
it  without  any  more  talk  I'll  hurt  you  worse  than  the 
lady's  car  did,  savez?" 

To  Janetta's  amazement  the  tramp,  after  one  threat- 
ening glance,  picked  up  his  battered  hat,  placed  it 
ludicrously  atop  the  immaculately  bandaged  head,  and 
turning,  made  off  down  the  road. 

With  his  going  a  measure  of  composure  returned  to 
Janetta,  and  with  it  a  sense  of  resentment  against  her 
companion.  As  he  handed  the  bag  to  her  she  nodded 
distantly. 

"Thank  you,"  she  said  with  pronounced  hauteur.  "It 
was  quite  unnecessary  for  you  to  interfere  in  my  gift 
to  that  poor  man,  however." 

"You  were  going  to  give  him  over  two  hundred 
dollars."  The  young  man  seemed  in  no  way  discom- 
posed by  her  change  of  manner.  "I'll  get  your  car  back 
into  the  road  for  you " 

"Please  don't  bother!"  she  interrupted  frigidly. 


24  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

"Nonsense!  You  can't  do  it  by  yourself.  You  have 
no  right  to  be  riding  about  the  country  alone  at  night 
with  all  that  money,  but  I  suppose  it  doesn't  mean  much 
to  you."  His  tone  was  maddeningly  cool.  "If  an  officer 
had  come  along  and  that  fellow  had  had  you  arrested 
for  running  him  down,  it  would  probably  have  cost  you 
a  lot  more,  though.  The  judge  might  have  made  an 
example  of  you.  It  doesn't  do  to  go  around  running 
over  people,  you  know,  even  if  they  are  only  tramps." 

"You  don't  think  I  knew  he  was  asleep  there  behind 
that  tree,  do  you?"  Janetta  demanded  angrily,  forgetting 
her  dignity  in  her  resentment.  "I  had  to  avoid  crashing 
into  that  other  car " 

"You  wouldn't  have,  if  you  had  been  on  the  right 
side  of  the  road,"  her  tormentor  interrupted  in  his  turn. 
"That's  the  trouble  with  you  society  women;  you  think 
you  can  do  anything  you  like  and  get  away  with  it, 
but  the  rules  of  the  road  were  made  for  everyone,  even 
the  common  people." 

"You — you  I.  W.  W.  Thing!"  Janetta  exclaimed 
wrath  fully,  but  the  young  man  had  turned  abruptly  and 
left  her.  She  watched  him  speechlessly  as  he  rolled  the 
light  roadster  out  into  the  road  and  started  the  motor 
with  a  practiced  hand.  When  he  returned  and  picked 
up  his  first-aid  kit,  she  saw  for  the  first  time  that  a 
motor  cycle  stood  against  the  wall  a  few  feet  away. 

Then  he  remembered  her  lamp  and  came  forward, 
but  she  snatched  it  up  and  retreated  to  her  car.  Courtesy 
demanded  that  she  thank  him  for  his  undeniable  services, 
but  all  that  she  could  bring  herself  to  accomplish  was 
a  stiff  little  bow. 

''Good-night,"  he  said  cheerfully.     "It  doesn't  really 


THE   I.   W.   W.   THING  25 

matter  what  you  think  of  me,  of  course,  but  I  don't 
happen  to  be  a  member  of  the  Brotherhood,  as  you 
called  me.  I'm  just  a  workingman." 

"'Good-night,"  Janetta  found  herself  repeating,  and 
then  angry  that  she  had  been  betrayed  into  that  small 
concession  she  jumped  into  her  car  and  sped  off  into 
the  darkness. 


CHAPTER  III 
JANETTA  DECIDES 

THE  next  day  Janetta's  best  friend,  Persis  Cheever, 
found  her  dry-eyed  and  resolute  of  face,  perched 
upon  the  end  of  her  chaise-lounge  with  a  pencil 
and    a   paper   which    contained    a    formidable    row    of 
figures. 

"What  in  the  name  of  goodness  are  you  doing,  Janey?" 
she  demanded. 

"Adding,"  replied  Janetta  succinctly.  "I'm  trying  to 
find  out  what  I've  spent  in  the  last  month  and  where 
it  has  all  gone  to.  I'm  glad  you  came,  Persis;  I  want 
to  have  a  serious  talk  with  you.  I  am  going  to  work." 

"That  is  what  every  one  of  the  girls  in  our  set  are 
saying,  my  dear,"  Mrs.  Cheever  responded  lightly.  "It's 
only  a  spasm.  You'll  get  over  it." 

"But  a  lot  of  them  have  done  things  and  are  doing 
them  now  splendidly,"  protested  Janetta.  "Motor  corps 
and  nursing  and  cooking  and  waiting  on  people  in  the 
service  huts,  and  even  clerical  work  in  Washington." 

"Can  you  cook?"  Mrs.  Cheever  demanded  with  the 
frankness  of  intimacy.  "Heaven  help  the  boys  who 
would  drink  your  coffee;  I  know,  for  I've  tried  it.  Can 
you  run  a  typewriter  or  take  shorthand,  or  manage  an 
office?  You  know  you  are  not  sufficiently  strong  for 
nursing,  and  if  you  think  you  can  run  a  car  efficiently 

enough  to  join  the  Corps " 

26 


JANETTA  DECIDES  27 

"Oh,  I  know  I  can't!"  Janetta  closed  her  eyes  with 
a  shudder,  as  visions  of  the  escapade  of  the  night  before 
returned  to  her.  With  them  came  unaccountably  the 
memory  of  those  flashing,  rudely  contemptuous  brown 
eyes,  and  the  hint  of  hidden  mockery  in  the  voice  which 
assured  her  that  its  owner  was  a  "workingman." 

"Well,  then,"  Mrs.  Cheever  resumed,  "don't  be  silly 
and  start  something  you  can't  finish." 

"Of  course,  he  couldn't  have  been!"  Janetta  observed 
in  absolute  irrelevance.  "Not  with  that  well-bred  voice, 
in  spite  of  his  impertinence " 

"Janey,  what  are  you  talking  about?"  her  visitor  de- 
manded. "Whose  voice,  and  who  was  impertinent?" 

"No  one,"  replied  Janetta  in  some  confusion,  adding 
hastily:  "But,  Persis,  there  must  be  something  of  real 
practical  use  that  I  can  do." 

"Oh,  yes,  of  course,"  Mrs.  Cheever  admitted  help- 
fully. "You  can  dance  and  ride  and  swim  and  play 
golf  and  tennis;  all  of  them  passably,  but  they  are  not 
much  in  demand  just  now.  The  most  practical  thing 
that  I  have  ever  seen  you  do  well  was  to  sell  goods 
over  a  counter  at  the  Red  Cross  bazaar.  I  believe  you 
could  sell  anything  to  anybody  if  you  once  fixed  your 
mind  on  it!  But  do  give  up  these  heroic  ideas  and 
just  play  about  with  the  rest  of  us.  Knit  and  roll 
bandages  if  you  like,  but  for  Heaven's  sake  don't  try 
to  go  in  for  anything  that  you  have  had  no  training 
for." 

When  her  friend  had  left  her  Janetta  sat  with  cold 
dismay  clutching  at  her  heart.  Persis  had  spoken  with 
brutal  candor,  but  in  truth;  there  was  nothing  that 
she  could  do,  nothing  that  really  counted.  For  the  first 


28  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

time  her  uselessness  was  borne  in  upon  her,  and  Janetta 
shuddered  at  the  future.  There  were  plenty  of  trained 
women,  no  doubt,  for  the  great  work  in  hand,  but  what 
of  herself  and  her  own  future?  What  if  the  mine  in 
Alaska  actually  fell  into  the  enemy's  hands;  must  Ollie 
return  to  find  her  a  helpless  burden  upon  him? 

Persis  Cheever's  careless  words:  "The  most  prac- 
tical thing  that  I  have  even  seen  you  do  well  was  to 
sell  goods  over  a  counter,"  returned  to  the  girl's  mind 
and  she  shivered  at  the  thought.  To  be  a  shopgirl ! 
She,  Janetta  Gildersleeve !  Was  that  the  possible  future 
that  awaited  her? 

Then  her  thoughts  turned  again  to  her  brother  and 
his  sacrifice  for  her,  that  she  might  not  know  until  the 
last  possible  moment  the  burden  of  anxiety  and  care 
that  had  weighed  upon  him  for  the  past  year  and  more, 
and  a  passionate  longing  to  help  him  rose  again  within 
her. 

If  only  she  might  go  to  Alaska  in  his  stead!  If  only 
she  had  paid  attention  when  Uncle  Andy  had  tried  so 
patiently  in  the  past  to  tell  her  something  of  the  mines 
from  which  she  had  so  indifferently  drawn  the  luxuries 
of  her  futile  existence ! 

The  announcement  that  Mr.  Geddes  was  in  the  draw- 
ing-room interrupted  her  reflections  and  Janetta  de- 
scended with  her  mind  filled  with  her  new  idea. 

"Uncle  Andy,"  she  began  impetuously,  much  to  that 
good  man's  amazement,  "why  doesn't  someone  else  go 
up  there  to  the  mine  in  Ollie's  place,  and  watch  over 
the  work?" 

"The  mine!  You're  a  real  Gildersleeve,  after  all!" 
the  old  man  chuckled. 


JANETTA   DECIDES  29 

"Uncle  Andy,  why  couldn't  Mr.  MacLeod  leave  the 
office  here  in  charge  of  someone  else  and  go  up  there? 
If  the  road  doesn't  go  through  there  won't  be  any  need 
of  a  New  York  office,  will  there?" 

Andrew  Geddes  shook  his  head  soberly. 

"We  have  thought  of  all  that,  my  dear,"  he  said. 
"Adam  is  a  good  man,  and  staunch  and  dependable 
as  they  make  them,  but  he  couldn't  see  beyond  the  length 
of  his  own  nose — though  the  Lord  knows  that  is  long 
enough  in  all  conscience !  He  only  knows  the  office  end 
of  the  game,  not  the  practical  workings  of  it  on  the 
ground,  and  what  we're  up  against  there  is  guerrilla 
warfare,  no  less !  I'd  go  myself  but  I'm  too  old  and 
I  find  my  perceptions  are  not  so  keen  as  they  used  to 
be.  If  that  new  young  engineer  is  all  that  his  record 
seems,  he's  loyal  and  honest  to  the  backbone,  and  effi- 
cient enough,  too,  although  this  is  his  first  real  chance. 
There  is  no  one  who  can  take  Oliphant's  place.  We'll 
just  have  to  trust  in  the  Lord  and  Barney  Hoyt." 

"Is  that  the  new  engineer's  name?"  Janetta  asked. 
"I  think  it  is  rather  nice,  don't  you?  It  sounds  de- 
pendable, anyway.  Just  what  would  Ollie  have  done  if 
he  had  been  here  in  America  and  able  to  go  to  that 
place — what  is  its  name?" 

"Katalak,"  Andrew  Geddes  responded.  "He  would 
have  kept  his  eye  on  things  and  put  a  stop  to  the 
crooked  work  of  the  Unatika  people." 

"But  that  sounds  so  vague,"  Janetta  objected.  "Of 
course,  his  presence  as  the  owner  of  the  Northern  Star 
might  have  had  a  sort  of  restraining  influence  on  those 
horrid  people  that  own  the  other  mine,  but " 

"It  would  not,"  interrupted  the  lawyer  grimly.     "It 


30  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

would  have  brought  open  warfare.  And  remember, 
Janetta,  that  no  one  knows  a  Gildersleeve  is  connected 
with  the  Northern  Star  Mining  Company.  We  want  to 
wait  and  spring  it  on  old  Winfield  and  his  crowd  when 
there  is  no  chance  of  his  jumping  on  us  again.  We 
are  out  to  do  him,  my  dear,  just  as  the  Unatika  people 
are  out  to  do  us,  only  we  fight  fair;  we  want  to  catch 
him  here  on  the  market  when  we  have  got  something 
back  of  us  to  fight  with,  and  put  him  out  of  business." 

"Then  if  Ollie  had  gone  up  to — er,  Katalak,  isn't  it? 
— he  would  have  gone  as  somebody  else,  and  under  a 
different  name  ?"  Janetta  asked  slowly,  her  brow  wrinkled 
in  a  thoughtful  frown. 

"Exactly,  my  dear.  Hoyt  would  have  known  him, 
of  course,  but  he  could  have  been  depended  upon  to 
keep  the  secret." 

"Surely  others  at  the  mine  would  have  recognized 
him,  too,"  Janetta  observed,  adding:  "When  Ollie  was 
there  with  the  expert  last  spring " 

"There  would  not  have  been  need  for  him  to  go  near 
the  mine,"  Andrew  Geddes  interrupted  again.  "No 
work  is  going  on  there  now;  ho  more  can  until  the  road 
goes  through.  There  is  no  working  force  there,  only 
a  guard  of  picked  men  to  see  that  the  Unatika  crowd 
do  not  start  some  mischief  in  the  mine  itself.  The 
real  job  lies  thirty  miles  away,  down  in  the  town  of 
Katalak  on  the  waterfront,  where  the  road  building  must 
start.  Oliphant  would  have  lain  low  and  studied  the 
gangs,  to  see  if  there  was  a  man  among  them  in  the 
pay  of  the  Unatika  people;  he  would  have  gotten  in 
with  that  crowd  too,  if  he  could,  and  tried  to  find  out 


JANETTA   DECIDES  31 

what  crooked  work  they  were  planning,  in  order  to 
stop  it  in  time." 

"But  isn't  there  any  law  up  there,  Uncle  Andy?" 
This  time  Janetta  raised  her  eyes.  "If  they  are  caught 
causing  any  of  these  so-called  accidents  that  have  been 
happening,  can't  they  be  put  in  prison?" 

"The  nearest  representative  of  law  and  order  is  the 
United  States  Marshal  at  Juneau,  as  I  understand  it," 
replied  Andrew  Geddes  dryly.  "And  they  are  under 
cover,  remember;  they  are  much  too  clever  to  be  caught 
in  any  overt  act  at  this  stage  of  the  game.  It's  rough 
work,  my  dear,  and  rough  characters  putting  it  over; 
they  would  stop  at  nothing  short  of  murder,  and  if  they 
could  get  away  with  that  under  the  guise  of  'accident' 
they  would  not  hesitate  to  wipe  out  any  man  who  stood 
in  their  path." 

"The  new  engineer;  would  they  murder  him  in  cold 
blood?"  Janetta  demanded  in  shocked  amazement. 

The  lawyer  shrugged. 

"He  is  taking  his  own  chances,"  he  replied.  "He 
knows  what  he's  up  against,  and  I  think  that  young 
man  can  be  depended  upon  to  take  care  of  himself  in 
an  emergency." 

The  lawyer  chuckled  again,  and  Janetta  said  impul- 
sively : 

"I  should  like  to  meet  him  and  talk  to  him  before 
he  goes.  Couldn't  you  bring  him  up,  Uncle  Andy?  Is 
he — the  presentable  sort?" 

"There  spoke  this  generation!"  Andrew  Geddes 
snorted.  "Your  grandfather, .my  dear,  would  not  have 
asked  if  the  man  who  was  sweating  blood  and  risking 
his  life  in  his  service  was  'presentable/  I'll  have  you 


32  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

know!  Any  man  who  worked  for  him  and  fought 
for  his  interests  tooth  and  nail  would  be  plenty  good 
enough  to  break  bread  with  him!" 

Janetta  hung  her  head,  but  more  from  force  of  habit 
when  facing  her  erstwhile  guardian's  customary  scold- 
ings than  from  contrition  at  her  question.  That  rude 
young  wayfarer  with  his  horrid  socialistic  ideas  returned 
again  to  her  thoughts  and  she  shuddered.  Could  her 
benign  old  grandfather  really  have  held  with  a  like 
doctrine?  She  glanced  up  at  Andrew  Geddes  with  a 
trace  of  mischief  in  her  eyes. 

"I  don't  remember  meeting  any  horny-handed  sons  of 
toil  at  grandfather's  table  here,  Uncle  Andy,  but  do 
bring  this  Barney  Hoyt  to  dinner,  anyway;  I  don't  care 
if  he  eats  with  his  knife  or  not!  It  will  be  a  good 
experience  for  Mrs.  Everton." 

"Thanks,  my  dear,  but  he'll  not  be  able  to  accept  your 
kind  invitation,"  the  old  man  responded  witheringly. 
"He  is  not  hanging  around  New  York  waiting  for 
society  to  take  him  up — he  is  on  his  way  out  to  his 
work  now,  and  within  two  weeks  he'll  have  it  started 
full  blast." 

"Clh,  I  hope  he  succeeds!  I  don't  mean  it  so  much 
on  my  own  account  as  on  Ollie's.  It  would  be  dreadful 
to  have  him  come  home  and  find  everything  gone !"  She 
paused,  and  then  added:  "Uncle  Andy,  I  meant  every 
word  I  said  in  your  office  that  day  when  you  told  me  the 
real  condition  of  affairs.  I  am  going  to  close  up  the 
house  here  almost  at  once.  Peddar  must  be  provided 
for,  of  course,  but  the  other  servants  must  go." 

"And  Mrs.  Everton  ?"  queried  the  lawyer. 

"Mrs.   Everton  has   already  given  notice."     Janetta 


JANETTA  DECIDES  33 

smiled  with  a  little  crooked  twist  to  her  lips.  "She  is 
going  on  a  trip  West,  and  Uncle  Andy,  who  do  you 
suppose  she  is  going  with  ?  The  Winfields !" 

"Not — you  don't  mean  Gordon  Winfield?"  Andrew 
Geddes  glared  in  astonishment. 

Janetta  nodded. 

"In  his  private  car;  his  niece,  Grace  Winfield,  invited 
her."  She  hesitated  and  added  slyly:  "Mr.  Winfield 
himself  is  a  widower,  isn't  he?" 

The  lawyer  nodded  in  his  turn,  but  his  face  was  very 
stern. 

"He  would  be  a  rare  catch  for  the  Everton  person, 
but  I'm  wondering  if  there  may  not  be  something  else 
back  of  it.  You  have  not  mentioned  the  Northern  Star 
to  her,  have  you,  Janetta?" 

"No.  Besides,  she  told  me  of  her  decision,  in  a  nice 
tentative  way,  of  course,  yesterday,  just  after  you  in- 
formed me  of  the  existence  of  the  Northern  Star." 

Andrew  Geddes  still  frowned. 

"I  don't  like  it,"  he  said  at  last.  "If  I  had  known 
that  she  was  a  friend  of  the  Winfields,  she  would 'have 
been  sent  packing  long  ago."  4 

"But,  Uncle  Andy,  one  cannot  discharge  a  chaperone 
like  a  housemaid,  you  know "  Janetta  began. 

"There  are  spies  enough  at  the  mine;  we  want  none 
in  the  household,"  he  retorted.  "Has  she  ever  mentioned 
them  to  you  before?" 

"No.  She  and  this  Grace  Winfield  were  at  school 
together,  I  understand,  but  they  haven't  seen  much  of 
each  other  of  late  years.  Aside  from  spoiling  the  sur- 
prise you  want  to  spring  on  Mr.  Winfield  in  the  stock 


34  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

market  later,  what  would  happen  if  he  should  learn  that 
the  Northern  Star  is  really  owned  by  Ollie  and  me?" 

"He  would  find  out  who  owns  the  Unatika  mine  if 
it  cost  him  half  he  possesses,  and  spend  the  other  half 
buying  in  on  that  proposition,  just  to  have  a  hand  in 
winning  out  once  more  against  the  Gildersleeve  blood!" 
the  old  man  announced  impressively.  "You  have  no 
conception  of  what  an  implacable  enemy  he  is.  He  drove 
the  old  company  to  the  wall  and  he's  waiting  now  for 
you  and  Oliphant  to  live  out  the  last  few  thousand  you 
managed  to  save  from  the  wreck  so  that  he  may  see 
you  in  poverty !  I'll  wager  that  he  is  laughing  in  his 
sleeve  at  this  moment  because  your  brother  has  been 
for  so  long  in  the  service,  thinking  that  he  will  not  have 
even  a  chance  to  try  to  recoup." 

"What  a — a  beast!"  Janetta  clenched  her  hands. 
"His  own  son,  that  Ronald,  didn't  go  to  war,  I  observe ! 
Uncle  Andy,  why  do  you  suppose  they  are  all  going 
West  just  now?" 

"Winfield  owns  mining  property  from  Nevada  to  the 
coast;  he  takes  a  trip  out  every  summer,"  replied  An- 
drew Geddes.  "The  best  thing  you  can  do,  Janetta,  is 
to  close  the  house  and  let  Mrs.  Everton  go  as  soon  as 
possible.  I've  never  approved  of  the  lady,  as  you  know, 
and  I  would  not  put  it  past  her  to  accept  a  commission 
from  Winfield  to  try  to  find  out  if  there  is  anything 
in  the  wind — if  you  have  invested  the  money  any  way 
that  he  might  get  at  it,  or  whether  you  are  just  living 
on  the  capital,  hoping  for  something  to  turn  up.  To  tell 
you  the  truth,  that  was  one  of  the  reasons  I  consented 
to  your  brother's  extravagant  plan  to  pay  you  your 
supposed  dividends  from  the  capital — in  order  to  fool 


35 

Winfield  and  let  him  think  you  were  living  the  remains 
of  your  fortune  out." 

Janetta's  brow  wrinkled. 

"I  don't  quite  like  it,  Uncle  Andy,"  she  said.  "This 
skulking  and  hiding  from  an  enemy — I  don't  think  it 
would  be  grandfather's  way,  do  you?  Why  not  come 
straight  out  in  the  open,  let  everyone  know  that  we 
Gildersleeves  own  the  Northern  Star,  and  dare  Mr.  Win- 
field  to  rob  us  of  it  if  he  can?" 

"It  would  not  be  your  grandfather's  way,  provided 
he  had  equal  weapons  to  fight  with,  my  dear,  but  when 
he  was  fighting  against  such  an  unscrupulous  enemy  as 
this  he  could  prove  himself  the  canniest  old  Scot  alive, 
and  did  many  a  time."  He  rose.  "You  don't  under- 
stand about  these  things,  and  I  should  not  have  told 
you  all  this,  but  it  was  a  positive  pleasure  to  me  to  see 
you  take  an  interest  at  last  in  the  things  which  concern 
your  own  future.  I  suppose  it  isn't  natural  to  expect 
a  young  girl  like  you  to  have  a  business  head  on  your 
shoulders,  so  just  think  no  more  about  it.  I've  no  doubt 
but  that  the  road  will  go  through  all  right,  and  a  year 
from  now  the  Northern  Star  will  be  paying  dividends 
enough  to  buy  you  all  the  pretty  things  your  heart  de- 
sires. But  when  you  close  up  here,  where  will  you  go, 
Janetta?" 

"Oh,  the  Pembrokes  have  asked  me  out  to  Great  Neck 
for  June,  and  the  Carterets  want  me  to  come  to  them 
at  Southampton,  but  I  think  I  shall  just  stay  in  town 
with  the  Cheevers  for  awhile  anyway,"  Janetta  re- 
sponded indifferently.  "Don't  worry  about  me,  Uncle 
Andy.  I  shall  let  you  know,  of  course,  what  I  decide. 


36  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

I  will  come  down  to  see  you  about  settling  up  affairs 
here." 

When  Mr.  Geddes  had  taken  his  departure,  Janetta 
paced  the  floor  deep  in  a  new  and  daring  thought  which 
had  come  to  her.  He  would  never  permit  it,  of  course, 
nor  would  Ollie,  but  would  it  be  necessary  for  them  to 
know?  Surely  some  plan  would  present  itself  by  means 
of  which  she  could,  escape  the  care  and  watchfulness 
that  had  hedged  her  in  all  her  life,  and  prove,  if  only  to 
herself,  that  she  was  not  the  useless  parasite  she  seemed. 
•There  was  nothing  here  for  her  to  do;  she  could  not 
indefinitely  accept  her  friends'  hospitality,  nor  could  she 
face,  false  though  such  pride  was,  the  thought  of  the 
hypocritical  sympathy  which  would  surround  her  at  the 
news  of  her  changed  fortunes. 

But  she  could  and  would  take  Ollie's  place  herself ! 
Whatever  the  Katalak  of  her  vague  and  shrinking 
imaginings  might  prove  to  be,  whatever  the  trials  and 
privations  and  dangers  that  might  assail  her,  whatever 
the  difficulties  that  stood  in  her  path,  Janetta  had  come 
to  a  decision.  She  would  go  to  Alaska! 


CHAPTER  IV 
THE  FAR  TRAIL 

THE  office  of  the  Northern  Star  Mining  Company 
was  a  modest  and  inconspicuous  one,  in  an 
antiquated  building  huddled  between  two  tower- 
ing skyscrapers  on  a  narrow,  alley-like  side  street  which 
just  invaded  the  outskirts  of  the  financial  district.  No 
prospective  investor  had  ever  passed  through  its  grimy 
door,  rarely  was  mail  slipped  beneath  it,  and  indeed  it 
remained  locked  for  days  at  a  time  until  the  entire 
office  staff,  in  the  person  of  Mr.  MacLeod,  put  in  a 
periodic  appearance.  The  Northern  Star  Mining  Com- 
pany was  quite  obviously  lying  low. 

The  day  after  Janetta  had  reached  her  decision  chanced 
to  be  the  occasion  of  one  of  the  managerial  visitations, 
and  Adam  had  scarcely  seated  himself  behind  the  in- 
congruously massive  mahogany  desk — a  relic  of  the  de- 
funct Gildersleeve  Copper  Company — when  to  his  amaze- 
ment there  came  a  swish  of  silken  skirts  and  clicking 
of  tiny  heels  down  the  musty  hall,  and  a  dainty  white 
gloved  hand  tapped  at  the  not  immaculate  glass  panel 
of  the  door. 

Ever  a  punctilious  man,  Adam  MacLeod  rose  and 
flung  it  open  with  an  angular  flourish. 

"Madam,  you  have  made  a  mista "  The  words 

died  in  his  throat,  and  his  lean  jaw  dropped  when  he 
beheld  the  apparition  which  confronted  him. 

37 


38  THE    3INGLE   TRACK 

"No  I  haven't  this  time,  Mr.  MacLeod,  though  I 
thought  I  should  never  find  the  right  place!"  Janetta 
glanced  about  her  and  sniffed.  "And  is  this  the  office  of 
the  Northern  Star !  It  isn't  very  much  like  the  old  days, 
is  it?" 

"It  will  be  again,  Miss  Gildersleeve,"  responded  the 
amazed  manager  staunchly  when  he  could  find  his  voice. 
"This  is  only  temporary,  you  know." 

"I  know."  Janetta  nodded.  "Until  the  road  goes 
through — if  it  does!" 

"You  know,  then " 

"Uncle  Andy  told  me."  Janetta  dimpled  suddenly. 
"May  I  sit  down,  please?  And  you  used  to  call  me 
'Janey,'  if  I  remember." 

"Excuse  me!"  Adam  wheeled  forward  one  of  the 
huge  leather  armchairs  and  surreptitiously  wiped  it  with 
his  sleeve.  "You've  grown  to  be  such  a  big  young  lady 
now,  that  I  hardly  see  the  little  Janey  in  you." 

"I  am  glad  you  appreciate  that  fact,  Mr.  MacLeod, 
for  I  have  come  to  talk  business  with  you."  Janetta 
seated  herself  gingerly,  and  smiled  upon  him. 

"Did  Mr.  Geddes  send  you  to  me?"  the  manager  asked 
with  native  caution. 

"Oh,  no,  indeed !"  she  replied  sweetly.  "He  doesn't 
even  know  I  came,  and  he  isn't  going  to  know.  This 
is  strictly  confidential." 

Mr.  MacLeod  looked  alarmed. 

"But  wouldn't  it  be  better — I  mean,  if  you  went  to 
him  he  could  tell  you  more  about  what  you  want  to 
know " 

"How  do  you  know  what  I  want  to  know  if  you 
won't  let  me  tell  you?"  Janetta's  smile  clenched  the 


THE   FAR   TRAIL  39 

unanswerable  argument,  and  she  went  on :  "He  has  told 
me  everything  there  is  to  tell  about  the  Gildersleeve 
failure,  and  Gordon  Winfield's  part  in  it,  and  all  about 
the  new  Northern  Star  and  the  Unatika  people  who  are 
racing  us  and  fighting  us  for  the  single-track  road  down 
to  Katalak.  Now,  what  sort  of  a  man  is  this  new  con- 
struction engineer,  Barney  Hoyt  ?" 

Her  glibness  had  taken  Mr.  MacLeod's  breath  away, 
but  at  the  sudden  question  his  eyes  narrowed  shrewdly. 

"Well,"  he  began  slowly,  "I've  always  been  at  the 
office  and — er,  Janey,  and  I  don't  pretend  to  know  the 
field  operations,  but  he  seems  all  right  to  me.  A  bit 
young  for  so  much  responsibility,  maybe,  but  they  tell 
me  that  he's  a  capable  engineer,  and  he  looks  to  be  a 
good  fighter.  He's  keen  for  the  work  and  acts  as  if 
he  were  going  to  eat  it  up.  We'll  just  have  to  wait  and 
see  how  he  tackles  it  when  he  gets  up  there." 

"  'A  capable  engineer  and  a  good  fighter,' "  Janetta 
repeated.  "But  that  isn't  all  we  need,  is  it?  Do  you 
think  he  is  a  young  man  to  be  trusted?" 

"You  mean,  can  he  be  bought  out  by  the  Unatika 
people?  Not  in  a  thousand  years,  Janey!  I'm  a  slow 
body  to  bank  on  any  man's  character,  but  if  young  Hoyt 
had  a  yellow  streak  he  would  have  shown  it  on  his  last 
job.  It  was  a  bridge  in  Canada,  and  I  know  for  a  fact 
that  he  was  offered  thousands,  and  a  position  that  he 
couldn't  work  up  to  in  ten  years  in  his  profession  if  he 
Would  turn  a  crooked  trick  with  it." 

"He  refused?" 

"And  beat  the  man  who  approached  him  with  the  offer 
within  an  inch  of  his  life!  That's  why  Mr.  Geddes 
selected  him  for  this  job  over  more  experienced  men." 


40  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

"You  know,  of  course,  that  if  Ollie  hadn't  entered 
the  service  he  meant  to  have  gone  to  Katalak  himself 
without  anyone  except  this  engineer  knowing  that  he 
was  the  owner  of  the  Northern  Star,  and  watched  to 
prevent  the  Unatika  people  from  injuring  our  road?" 
Janetta  asked,  after  a  pause.  At  MacLeod's  nod  she 
went  on:  "Uncle  Andy  says  that  there  is  no  one  to 
take  his  place,  no  one  to  sort  of  make  friends  with  the 
men  so  that  they  wouldn't  be  suspicious  and  find  out  if 
there  is  not  a  traitor  perhaps  among  our  own  employees 
who  has  enabled  the  Unatika  people  to  cause  so  many 
of  these  so-called  'accidents'  which  have  delayed  the 
work  at  the  mine." 

"That's  so,"  the  manager  agreed.  "It's  hard  enough 
to  find  men  for  any  sort  of  work  up  there  now,  let 
alone  a  confidential  job  of  this  kind.  The  war  has  taken 
most  of  them." 

Janetta  drew  a  deep  breath. 

"Women  have  taken  men's  places  all  over  the  coun- 
try," she  said  slowly.  "Isn't  there  some  sort  of  a  'job,' 
as  you  call  it,  that  a  woman  could  do?  I  don't  mean 
manual  labor  or  clerical  work  either  exactly,  but  some- 
thing that  would  bring  her  in  touch  in  a  plausible  way 
with  the  men  employed?" 

"Well,  I  don't  know  as  to  that,"  MacLeod  rubbed  his 
chin  reflectively.  "I  did  hear  from  the  general  superin- 
tendent that  they  were  hard  put  to  it  for  an  assistant 
storekeeper,  but  I  hardly  think  he  would  consider  a 
woman  for  the  post." 

"What  is  an  assistant  storekeeper?"  Janetta's  eyes 
were  shining. 

"Why,    the    company — your    company — maintains    a 


THE   FAR   TRAIL  41 

sort  of  general  store  right  at  the  works  where  the  men 
can  buy  what  they  need — clothing  and  tobacco,  and 
razors  and  candy  and  all  that.  The  storekeeper  takes 
care  of  the  ordering  of  supplies  and  the  books  and  the 
assistant  sells  the  stuff  to  the  men.  But  what  in  the 
world  put  the  idea  in  your  head  of  sending  a  woman 
up  there,  Janey?  No  woman  would  be  any  matter  of 
use,  especially  now  that  there's  trouble  and  likely  to  be 
more." 

But  Janetta  had  not  heard  the  query.  Persis  Cheever's 
words  of  the  previous  day  returned  once  more  to  her 
thoughts  and  this  time  they  brought  no  misgiving.  The 
one  practical  thing  that  she  could  do  well  was  to  sell 
goods  over  a  counter! 

"Mr.  MacLeod,"  she  rose,  and  going  to  him  held  out 
her  hand,  "I  want  your  solemn  word  of  honor  that  what 
I  am  going  to  say  to  you  now  you  will  never  repeat  to 
Uncle  Andy  or  my  brother  when  he  comes  back,  or — 
or  anyone." 

The  gaunt  figure  rose  also  and  a  bony  hand  gripped 
hers. 

"Of  course,  you  have  my  word,  Janey.  I'll  tell  no 
one.  But  what " 

"I'm  so  glad."  Janetta  drew  herself  up  to  her  slim 
height  before  him.  "Because,  you  see  Mr.  MacLeod, 
I'm  going  up  there  myself !  I'm  going  to  be  that  assistant 
storekeeper !" 

"You're — you're  daft!"  Adam  MacLeod's  pale  eyes 
seemed  fairly  to  pop  out  of  his  head.  "You  go  to 
that  rough  mining  town,  a  young  lady  that's  been  brought 
up  as  you've  been!  It  would  never  be  allowed  for  a 


42  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

moment !  A  dainty  young  thing  in  a  hole  like  that ! 
You  cannot  know  what  you  are  saying,  Janey!" 

"Nevertheless,  I  am  going,  and  you  are  going  to  help 
me,"  Janetta  announced,  and  the  Gildersleeve  chin  was 
very  prominent  now.  "No  one  will  know  who  I  am 
and  the  Unatika  people  would  never  suspect  a  woman 
spy.  Besides  what  better  chance  would  anyone  have  to 
get  in  with  the  men " 

"It  couldn't  be  done,  not  by  a  lady "  the  horri- 
fied manager  was  beginning,  but  she  cut  him  short  un- 
ceremoniously. 

"I'm  not  going  as  a  lady!  I'm  going  just  as  an  em- 
ployee of  the  company  like  themselves.  You  can  fix  it 
for  me " 

"Never  while  there's  breath  in  my  body!"  declared 
MacLeod  vehemently.  "You  don't  know  what  you're 
talking  about,  Janey!  You  haven't  the  least  conception 
of  the  sort  of  men  you  would  come  in  contact  with; 
and  the  women  in  a  place  like  that!  Whatever  put 
such  a  daft  notion  into  your  head?" 

"Mr.  MacLeod,  what  are  you  doing  here  in  this  dingy 
little  office  that  a  fifteen-dollar-a-week  clerk  could  run? 
You,  whose  services  would  be  worth  many  thousands  a 
year  to  any  mining  stock  company  on  the  Street?" 
Janetta  demanded  unexpectedly. 

MacLeod  gazed  at  her  in  a  bewildered  fashion. 

"Why,  where  else  would  I  be  while  there's  a  Gilder- 
sleeve  ?" 

"That  is  just  what  I  mean!"  she  exclaimed  tri- 
umphantly. "Don't  you  suppose  we  realize  what  you 
are  sacrificing  for  us  because  you  feel  that  you  are  a 
part  of  us — because  you  have  been  with  the  company 


THE  FAR  TRAIL'  43 

all  your  life?  Are  you  going  to  fail  us  now?  There's 
work  up  there  that  only  a  Gildersleeve  can  do.  My 
brother  is  doing  a  bigger  thing  and  I  must  take  his 
place.  Oh,  can't  you  see!  Uncle  Andy  treats  me  still 
as  a  child  but  I  thought  you  would  understand.  He 
wants  to  keep  me  wrapped  in  cotton  wool  all  my  life, 
but  I  have  my  grandfather's  blood  in  me,  and  I'm  going 
to  prove  it !  I'll  come  to  no  harm,  Mr.  MacLeod ;  the 
men  may  be  rough  and  all  that,  but  I  can  take  care 
of  myself.  Don't  you  see  I've  simply  got  to  go?" 

MacLeod  shook  his  head  stubbornly. 

"It's  unthinkable,"  he  said.  "I'll  be  no  party  to  any 
such  outrageous  scheme!" 

"Very  well."  Janetta  walked  a  few  steps  away  and 
then  suddenly  whirled  upon  him.  "I  suppose  you  know 
that  I'm  twenty-one  years  old,  that  I  am  half  owner  in 
the  Northern  Star  mine,  and  that  nothing  on  earth  can 
prevent  me  from  going  up  there  and  being  my  own  store- 
keeper if  I  want  to?  If  you  try  to  stop  me,  if  you 
give  me  away  to  anybody  you  will  be  a  traitor  to  the 
company !" 

"But  Janey!"  pleaded  MacLeod,  "you  don't  realize 
what  the  life  is  up  there,  I'm  telling  you !  You  couldn't 
— you  wouldn't  be  safe!  I  ought  to  be  shot  if  I  lent 
myself  to  such  a  mad  whim!" 

"Then  don't!"  retorted  Janetta  coldly.  "I  imagine 
the  general  superintendent  will  recognize  my  authority 
if  I  find  it  necessary  to  take  him  into  my  confidence!" 

"I'll  go  to  Andrew  Geddes "  declared  the  harassed 

MacLeod. 

"You  can't!"  Janetta  fairly  danced  a  step  or  two  in 
her  jubiliation.  "You  gave  me  your  hand  and  your 


44  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

solemn  word  of  honor  that  you  wouldn't  tell  a  single 
soul !" 

"You  took  advantage  of  me!"  MacLeod  pounded  the 
desk  indignantly.  "I  might  have  known  you  were  up 
to  some  mischief  when  you  walked  in  here  this  morning ! 
Rather  than  have  it  on  my  soul  that  I  helped  you  to  take 
such  a  reckless,  dangerous  step,  I'll — I'll  order  the  gen- 
eral superintendent  to  exclude  all  women  from  the  pay- 
roll of  the  company — and  he'll  think  I  have  gone  clean 
daft,  for  never  a  woman  has  applied !" 

"You  do,  and  I'll  go  to  Katalak  if  I  have  to  go  as 
one  of  those  dance-hall  girls!"  Janetta's  eyes  were 
blazing  now,  and  at  his  shocked  gaze  she  added  with 
confident  assurance:  "Oh,  you  needn't  think  I  don't 
know  all  about  things  up  there ;  I've  been  to  the  movies ! 
I  tell  you  I  mean  to  go  and  try  to  protect  Ollie's  property 
and  my  own  if  I  have  to  walk  every  step  of  the  way!" 

MacLeod  groaned  and  dropped  helplessly  into  his 
chair. 

"I  know  you  are  of  age,  Janey,  but  just  stop  and 
think  for  a  moment.  What  could  you  do  ?  Suppose  you 
should  find  decent  lodgings,  which  I  very  much  doubt, 
you'd  be  on  your  feet  all  day,  cooped  up  in  a  rough- 
board  shack  behind  a  counter  selling  blankets  and  plug 
cut  to  a  lot  of  ruffians  who  at  the  least  would  be  making 
eyes  at  you!  You  wouldn't  see  a  thing  that  was  going 
on  outside  or  understand  it  if  you  did !" 

"They  work  sometimes,  don't  they?"  asked  Janetta 
slyly.  "I  didn't  suppose  they  had  all  day  to  do  their 
shopping  in,  and  I  guess  I  could  stand  their  making 
eyes  at  me — other  men  have,  you  know!  Besides,  you 
could  help  me " 


THE   FAR   TRAIL  45 

"I  could!  Away  off  here  in  New  York!"  MacLeod 
exclaimed  in  bitter  sarcasm. 

"You  could  order  the  head  storekeeper,  if  that  is  what 
you  call  him,  to  lay  in  a  stock  of  extra  nice  things  in  the 
line  that  the  men  most  require,  and  sell  it  to  them 
below  cost — a  better  grade  of  tobacco  I  mean,  nicer  candy 
and  clothes.  What  nationality  are  they,  for  the  most 
part?" 

"Italians  and  Russians  and  Hungarians  and  Chinese, 
I  believe,"  he  replied  almost  mechanically,  staring  at  her 
as  if  he  thought  she  had  taken  leave  of  her  senses. 

Janetta  clapped  her  sands. 

"Oh,  good !  I  know  just  the  sort  of  things  to  appeal 
to  them  that  I'm  sure  the  storekeeper  never  even  thought 
of!" 

MacLeod's  own  national  prudence  asserted  itself. 

"But  why  below  cost?"  he  inquired.  "We  would  be 
losing  money  for  no  purpose.  The  men  are  satisfied 
now " 

"Because  they  can  get  nothing  better.  If  that  Unatika 
company  are  so  mean  as  to  try  any  crooked  trick  to 
delay  the  building  of  our  road,  it  isn't  probable  that  they 
treat  their  men  as  well  as  we  do,  is  it?  Their  company 
store  may  be  selling  them  more  inferior  stuff  and  cheat- 
ing them  at  that.  Now,  if  you  could  just  suggest  to  our 
storekeeper  and  whoever  is  superior  to  him  that  it  is 
the  owners'  wish  that  the  men  of  the  other  company 
be  allowed  to  sneak  in  now  and  then  and  buy  something 
— they  mustn't  know  they  are  being  allowed,  you  see, 
they  must  think  that  we  mistake  them  for  some  of  our 
own  men " 

"Great  stuff!"  ejaculated  MacLeod.     "You  mean  to 


46  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

win  them  over,  undermine  their  satisfaction  with  the 
people  they  work  for " 

"I  mean  to  fight  fire  with  fire!"  Janetta  declared,  her 
blue  eyes  snapping.  "Short  of  actual  crooked  dealing, 
I  mean  to  play  their  own  game  and  beat  them  at  it!  I 
have  some  money  of  my  own  left  from  my  last  quarterly 
allowance,  and  I'll  leave  it  with  you  to  pay  for  the  extra 
goods.  If  Uncle  Andy  comes  snooping  around  to  find 
out  what  it  means,  supposing  that  young  engineer  or 
the  superintendent  or  somebody  should  write  to  him 
about  it,  just  tell  him  that  it  is  a  little  experiment  you 
decided  upon  yourself." 

"Janey,  I  should  never  have  suspected  you  of  such 
duplicity!"  MacLeod  groaned  in  shocked  sincerity. 
"How  are  you  going  to  explain  your  absence,  supposing 
that  I  should  consent  to  listen  for  a  minute  to  your  wild 
notion?  Mind,  I  haven't  said  that  I  would!  It  would 
be  a  fine  scandal  -to  get  out  in  society  that  Miss  Janetta 
Gildersleeve  was  missing!" 

"I  haven't  decided  yet  on  the  details,  but  they  will 
come  to  me,"  Janetta  responded  serenely.  "I  have  a 
girl  friend  who  will  help  me  out.  Of  course,  I  shall 
have  to  fib  to  her,  too,  but  I  don't  want  a  person  on 
earth  to  know  where  I  am  but  just  you." 

"I  can't  do  it!"  MacLeod  rose  -precipitately  once 
more.  "I  got  carried  way  for  the  moment  by  that  scheme 
of  yours  to  win  the  men  of  the  other  company  over,  but  it 
is  no  use,  Janey !  When  I  think  of  that  place,  and  every 
man  of  them  taking  his  life  in  his  hands  with  that 
murderous  gang  after  them  and  then  think  of  you  all 
alone  up  there,  exposed  to  all  the  dangers  they  are  and 


THE   FAR   TRAIL  47 

a  thousand  worse,  I — I  can't  take  the  responsibility !    I'll 
break  my  word  first,  and  go  to  Andrew  Geddes!" 

Janetta  read  defeat  in  the  stern  implacable  lines  about 
his  grim  mouth,  and  with  a  wisdom  beyond  her  years 
forbore  to  urge  her  cause  further.  Instead  she  sat 
for  long  minutes  lost  in  demure  reflection,  while  the 
unhappy  MacLeod  paced  the  floor  hoping  fervently  that 
she  would  go  without  making  a  renewed  attack  upon 
him. 

All  at  once  a  swift  gleam  of  inspiration  flashed  across 
the  girl's  face,  and  a  little  smile  flitted  for  an  instant 
about  her  lips.  It  was  gone  with  the  next  breath,  and 
she  said  meekly: 

"Mr.  MacLeod,  will  you  help  me  to  go  if  I  promise 
to  take  someone  with  me  who  is  years  and  years  older 
than  I  am  and  deadly — I  mean,  eminently — respectable? 
Someone  who  is  perfectly  qualified  to  look  after  me  and 
see  that  I  don't  get  into  any  mischief?  Someone  whom 
we  can  trust  to  keep  our  secret  absolutely?" 

"Who  is  it?"  He  eyed  her  suspiciously.  "Is  it  some- 
one your  brother  and  Andrew  Geddes  approve  of?" 
•  "It  is  someone  they  both  love;  at  least,  Ollie  does! 
But  I  shan't  tell  you  unless  you  promise  first,  for  you 
have  been  so  mean  about  my  going  alone  beside  threat- 
ening to  break  your  word!  Of  course,"  she  added 
sweetly,  "you  realize  that  your  going  to  Uncle  Andy 
wouldn't  make  the  slightest  difference  if  I  were  really 
determined  to  act  without  your  help,  except  to  make  a 
lot  of  trouble  for  both  of  you,  for  even  Ollie  couldn't 
prevent  my  going,  I  have  a  half  interest  in  the  mine,  as 
you  know.  However,  I  would  so  much  rather  do  it  with 
your  approval!" 


48  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

"Ahem!"  MacLeod  temporized.  "You  say  someone 
who  is  much  older,  and  able  to  take  care  of  you,  and 
your  brother  trusts  her?  We-ell,  I  promise." 

"And  you  promise  not  to  break  your  promise?" 

He  nodded  solemnly,  and  Janetta  gave  a  deep  sigh  of 
satisfaction. 

"I  knew  you  would  agree!"  she  said  blandly.  "Only, 
it  isn't  a  'her.'  I  shall  take  Peddar !" 

"Peddar!"  exclaimed  MacLeod  in  dismay.  "I  might 
have  known  you  would  play  some  trick  on  me!  What 
earthly  good  would  that  doddering  old  butler  of  yours 
be  to  protect  you  in  a  rough  crow*d  like  that?" 

"I  didn't  say  he  would,"  Janetta  corrected  him  gently. 
"I  said  he  was  years  and  years  older  than  I  am,  and 
respectable,  and  Ollie  loved  him,  and  we  could  trust  him 
absolutely.  That's  all  true,  isn't  it?" 

MacLeod  was  speechless,  and  she  went  on: 

"When  I  said  that  he  was  perfectly  qualified  to  look 
after  me  and  see  that  I  didn't  get  into  mischief — well, 
he's  been  doing  that  for  twenty  years,  and  if  he  isn't 
qualified  after  all  that  practice  I  don't  know  who  is !" 

"Nobody  on  this  earth  can  do  that!"  MacLeod  as- 
serted with  feeling.  "I  do  not  know  what  to  say  to 
you " 

"Then  let  me  tell  you  of  a  perfectly  lovely  plan  I 
have  that  would  be  the  greatest  assurance  of  protection 
and  propriety  and  all  that  sort  of  thing,  if  you  are  still 
worrying  for  fear  I  can't  take  care  of  myself.  I  shall 
go  up  there  as  his  daughter !  Then  I  won't  have  to  live 
in  lodgings;  we  can  get  some  sort  of  a  little  shack  and 
Peddar  can  take  care  of  it  while  I  am  away  at  the 
store.  That  will  explain  him,  too,  and  you  won't  have 


THE   FAR   TRAIL  49 

to  find  any  work  .for  him  to  do."  She  paused  and 
added  coaxingly:  "Don't  you  think  that  would  be  a 
splendid  arrangement  ?" 

"I  don't  say  that  it  mightn't  be  done  if  you  are  abso- 
lutely set  on  this  mad  idea  of  yours,"  MacLeod  admitted 
reluctantly.  "But  what  name " 

"His  own,  of  course !  He  could  never  remember 
another  at  his  age.  And  I  shall  be  a  Peddar,  too ;  Jane 
Peddar!  It  sounds  very  quaint,  doesn't  it?" 

"Janey,  I  never  thought  you  had  it  in  you!  It's  the 
original  Mother  Eve,  I  expect,  that  makes  wells  of 
duplicity  of  the  youngest  of  you !"  MacLeod  shook  his 
head,  but  the  ghost  of  a  smile  hovered  about  his  dour 
mouth,  and  Janetta  knew  that  she  triumphed. 


"Alaska,  miss?"  Peddar  quavered,  his  eyes  fairly 
bulging  from  their  sockets  when  she  told  him.  "You 
and  me,  and  no  one  to  know?  I'm  sure  I  don't  know 
what  to  say  to  you,  miss !  We'll  both  catch  our  deaths 
in  all  that  ice  and  snow,  to  say  nothing  of  getting  bit, 
may  be,  by  a  seal " 

"Nonsense!"  Janetta  snapped.  "We're  not  going  to 
the  Arctics,  Peddar!  Katalak  is  warm  and  pleasant, 
at  this  time  of  year,  anyway,  and  it  will  be  just  the  thing 
for  your  rheumatism.  They  grow  flowers  and  vegetables 
and  everything  up  there  just  as  we  do,  Mr.  MacLeod 
says,  and  it's  a  nice  little  town." 

Peddar  sighed. 

"Man  and  boy,  I've  been  in  the  service  of  the  Gilder- 
sleeves  for  nearly  fifty  years,  but  never  have  I  thought 


50  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

to  see  this  day!  Many  a  wild  prank  of  yours  and  Mr. 
Oliphant's  I've  covered  up,  if  you'll  excuse  me  for  say- 
ing so,  miss,  when  you  were  little  and  it  was  my  duty, 
maybe,  to  tell  on  you,  but  to  be  joining  you  in  one  now 
at  my  time  of  life " 

"It's  not  a  wild  prank,  Peddar.  Can't  you  under- 
stand ?  I'm  going  there  to  look  after  my  brother's  busi- 
ness for  him  while  he  is  away." 

"I'd  follow  you  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  miss,  and 
well  you  know  it,  if  you  needed  me,  but  I  would  feel 
a  lot  easier  in  my  mind  if  it  was  Mr.  Geddes  and  not 
Mr.  MacLeod  that  was  sending  us!  If  you  would  just 
let  me  speak  to  him " 

"No.  If  you  would  rather  stay  at  home  I'll  go  alone, 
but  I  forbid  you  to  say  one  word  to  Mr.  Geddes," 
Janetta  commanded,  adding  mendaciously:  "You  know 
it  must  be  all  right  or  Mr.  MacLeod  would  not  have 
suggested  it,  and  he  would  not  hear  of  anyone  going 
with  me  except  you.  He  said  there  was  no  one  else 
whom  he  would  trust,  not  only  to  look  out  for  me  but 
to  keep  our  secret;  not  to  tell  anyone  why  we  were  up 
there.  You  see,  it  is  a  very  confidential  matter." 

"I'm  sure  I  am  obliged  to  Mr.  MacLeod  for  the  con- 
fidence he  has  in  me."  Peddar  straightened  with  simple 
dignity.  "I'll  do  my  best  by  you,  miss,  and  I'll  open 
my  mouth  to  no  one." 

He  sighed  again  and  shook  his  head  as  he  glanced 
about  the  dismantled  library,  and  added: 

"But  I'll  ask  you  kindly  to  remember  that  this  journey 
is  none  of  my  doing.  I'm  against  it  from  the  start,  and 
I  feel  in  my  bones  that  something  will  happen." 

It  was  the  last  night  in  the  old  Gildersleeve  house. 


THE   FAR   TRAIL  51 

Mrs.  Everton,  with  an  expression  of  injury  not  unmixed 
with  indignation,  had  taken  herself  off  that  afternoon, 
a  full  month  before  it  suited  her  own  plans  to  depart; 
the  servants  with  the  exception  of  Peddar  had  been 
dismissed  with  a  month's  wages  in  lieu  of  notice,  and 
as  Janetta,  too,  glanced  about  her  the  house  seemed 
already  to  have  ceased  to  be  home.  The  rugs  rolled  back 
from  the  bare  floors,  the  furniture  swathed  in  linen  and 
stacked  against  the  wall,  the  blank  spaces  where  the 
portraits  and  mirrors  had  hung — all  gave  to  the  room  the 
forlorn  air  of  a  place  long  untenanted. 

Would  it  ever  be  home  to  her  again,  she  wondered 
vaguely.  Would  she  and  Peddar  return  to  it  in  the 
autumn  and  would  life  go  on  as  before,  or  would 
strangers  come  to  live  beneath  her  grandfather's  roof 
while  she — the  race  for  the  single-track  road  lost  and 
the  mine  taken  from  them — waited  in  ignominous  poverty 
for  Ollie's  return,  to  tell  him  that  she  had  failed  in  the 
task  she  had  assumed? 

The  foreboding  of  an  utter  change  in  existence  was 
heavy  upon  her,  greater  than  the  project  in  Alaska,  with 
all  its  unknown  perils,  could  account  for,  but  she  threw 
it  off  resolutely.  She  must  not,  could  not  fail!  If  the 
young  engineer  could  accomplish  his  part  of  the  task, 
surely  she  could  discover  what  evil  machinations  were 
at  work  to  wrest  the  mine  from  them,  and  sound  the 
warning  that  they  might  be  frustrated. 

"If  you  please,  miss,  is  all  your  personal  luggage  to 
go  with  you  to-morrow  to  Mrs.  Cheever's?"  Peddar's 
voice  broke  in  upon  her  musing.  "Some  of  it  appears 
to  be  empty,  and  I  fancied  it  might  have  been  meant 
for  the  storage  warehouse  with  the  packing  cases." 


52  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

"No.  That  square  trunk,  the  steamer  trunk,  and  the 
old  sal f  skin  bag,  which  are  empty,  are  the  only  ones  I  am 
going  to  use  on  our  trip,  Peddar,  and  I  want  you  to 
send  them  out  to-morrow  to  have  the  initials  painted  out, 
and  replaced  by  'J.  P.'  in  small,  neat  letters." 

"  'J.  P.',  miss?"  Peddar  repeated. 

"Yes.  I'm  not  traveling  as  'Miss  Janetta  Gildersleeve 
and — and  butler,  New  York,'  you  know."  She  laughed. 
"I'm  'Jane  Peddar'  and  you're  my  father  and  we're  from 
• — where  are  we  from,  Peddar?" 

Peddar  raised  his  hands  in  horrified  expostulation. 

"Like  criminals  running  away  from  the  law!"  he 
gasped. 

"Not  you;  it's  only  I  who  am  changing  my  name  to 
yours.  You  don't  mind  adopting  me,  do  you,  Peddar?" 
Janetta  asked  demurely. 

"Your  family  would  turn  in  their  graves !"  declared 
the  old  man  in  trembling  tones.  "I'm  sure  I'm  honored, 
miss,  by  your  using  my  name,  but  I  can't  think  that 
even  Mr.  MacLeod  would  approve  of  it !  There  could 
be  no  right  reason  in  the  world  for  a  Gildersleeve " 

"No  one  up  there  must  know  who  I  am ;  no  one  must 
know  that  a  Gildersleeve  has  any  interest  whatever  in 
Alaska,"  Janetta  explained  patiently.  "Now  do  you  see, 
Peddar?" 

"No,  miss."  He  shook  his  head  again  dolefully.  "I 
don't  see  anything  but  that  we're  doing  a  wild  and  reck- 
less thing,  and  nothing  but  mischief  and  trouble  will 
come  of  it!" 

"We'll  start  J:wo  weeks  from  to-morrow,  remember," 
Janetta  observed,  ignoring  his  dismal  tone.  "I'll  give 
you  a  check  in  the  morning  to  buy  some  new  clothes; 


THE   FAR   TRAIL  53 

you  can't  go  up  there  looking  like  a  pallbearer,  as  you 
have  all  these  years  in  that  funereal  black!" 

Peddar  glanced  down  ruefully  at  the  garb  of  his 
service. 

"I'll  need  no  money,  Miss.  I've  a  bit  put  by,  and 
some  decent  gray  clothes,  though  not  good  enough  to 
travel  with  you " 

Janetta  laughed  once  more. 

"Wait  till  you  see  me !"  she  exclaimed.  "We  are  going 
as  poor  people,  Peddar.  You  haven't  heard  the  worst 
yet!  I'm  going  to  wofk  in  a  store!" 

"Never,  miss!  I'll  not  see  it!  What  can  Mr.  Mac- 
Leod be  thinking  of !  A  Gildersleeve " 

He  paused  aghast,  and  Janetta  cried  impatiently: 

"For  goodness  sake,  forget  the  Gildersleeves !  From 
the  time  we  leave  New  York  I  am  your  daughter  'Jane' 
and  you've  got  to  treat  me  as  if  I  were.  Just  do 
exactly  what  I  tell  you,  Peddar,  and  remember,  not  a 
word  to  a  soul!" 

Peddar  departed  shocked  beyond  effort  to  protest 
further,  and  Janetta  was  completing  her  final  survey  of 
the  room  prior  to  retiring  when  an  open  packing  case 
filled  with  books  met  her  eye,  and  idly  she  turned  over 
the  topmost  ones.  They  were  part  of  an  encyclopedia 
which  her  brother  had  purchased  only  a  month  before 
his  departure  and  with  the  first  volume  in  her  hands  she 
paused,  wrinkling  her  small  nose.  Mrs.  Everton  would 
be  the  last  person  in  the  world  to  seek  knowledge  or 
diversion  from  such  a  source,  and  yet  surely  it  was  a 
touch  of  her  own  particular  perfume,  and  none  other, 
which  seemed  to  float  out  upon  the  air  from  the  opened 
book. 


54  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

Janetta  ruffled  the  pages,  and  as  she  did  so  she  saw 
a  small  scrap  of  paper  stuck  between  the  leaves  of  what 
seemed  to  be  a  map.  It  was  the  map  of  Alaska!  With 
a  murmured  exclamation,  she  drew  out  the  slip  of 
paper. 

Upon  it,  in  Adele's  unmistakable  hand  was  written: 
"Northern  Star."  The  paper  fluttered  from  the  girl's 
fingers,  and  she  sank  into  the  nearest  chair.  So  Mrs. 
Everton  had  known  all  the  time  of  the  true  owners  of 
the  dummy  company !  She  must  have  done  so ;  the  coin- 
cidence was  too  impossible  to  be  considered.  She  had 
never  mentioned  it,  and  in  a  month  she  was  going  west 
with  the  Winfields! 

Dazed  from  the  unexpected  revelation  Janetta  held 
the  book  closer  to  the  light  and  examined  the  map  with 
minute  care.  It  had  not  occurred  to  her  before  to  look 
up  the  little  town  to  which  her  mission  was  taking  her, 
yet  she  would  have  had  no  difficulty  in  locating  it,  for 
a  circle  had  been  drawn  with  a  faint  pencil  stroke  around 
the  little  star  labeled  "Katalak." 

Could  it  have  been  Ollie  himself  who  had  so  marked 
it  ?  Andrew  Geddes'  remark  when  she  told  him  of  Mrs. 
Everton's  opportunely  revived  friendship  with  the  niece 
of  the  man  who  was  their  implacable  enemy  recurred 
to  her:  "I  would  not  put  it  past  her  to  accept  a  com- 
mission from  Winfield  to  try  to  find  out  if  there  is 
anything  in  the  wind." 

He  had  said,  too,  that  he  would  have  sent  her  packing 
long  before  if  he  had  known  that  she  was  a  friend  of 
theirs,  and  he  was  no  alarmist.  Perhaps  he  should  be 
told  now  of  the  evening's  discovery. 

Even  as  the  thought  came  to  her,  however,  Janetta 


THE   FAR  TRAIL  55 

negatived  it.  She  would  not  take  anyone  into  her  con- 
fidence. With  Adam  MacLeod's  reluctant  backing  and 
Peddar's  moral  support  she  would  see  her  self-appointed 
task  through  alone. 

Persis  and  William  Cheever  welcomed  her  whole- 
heartedly the  next  day,  but  before  the  week  was  out 
her  hostess  was  conscious  of  a  change  in  the  girl,  subtle 
but  unmistakable.  She  was  no  longer  the  flippant, 
frivolous  Janey  of  the  past  two  seasons ;  there  was  a 
glow  of  serious  purpose  in  her  eyes,  a  new  dignity  which 
seemed  to  forbid  an  intrusion  upon  her  unwonted  ret- 
icence. 

"The  infant  has  something  on  her  mind,"  Billy  re- 
marked one  evening  to  his  wife.  "I'm  hanged  if  I  don't 
think  there  is  something  queer  about  the  whole  business, 
her  closing  up  the  house  like  this,  and  shaking  that 
Everton  woman  and  coming  to  you.  Has  she  told  you 
anything,  Sis?" 

"Not  a  word!"  Mrs.  Cheever  exclaimed.  "I  cannot 
understand  her  these  days  at  all.  She  won't  play  about 
with  us  any  more  but  keeps  going  off  every  day  on 
private  expeditions  of  her  own  and  claims  that  it  is 
business.  What  in  the  world  has  Jane  to  do  with  busi- 
ness? Old  Mr.  Geddes  takes  care  of  all  their  affairs. 
She  used  to  tell  me  everything  and  now  I  can  scarcely 
set  a  word  out  of  her.  I  mean  to  try  to-morrow, 
though.  This  mysterious  air  of  hers  is  getting  on  my 
nerves." 

Yet  when  the  opportunity  came  while  they  were  having 
tea  alone  together  on  the  following  afternoon  Mrs. 
Cheever  did  not  find  it  easy  to  approach  the  subject. 
Janetta  with  that  new  and  maddening  preoccupation  of 


56  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

hers  was  staring  straight  before  her  and  roused  only 
when  her  hostess  leaned  forward  and  laid  an  impulsive 
hand  upon  her  arm. 

"Janey  dear,  what  is  it  that  is  troubling  you?" 

"Nothing,  Persis ;  what  should  there  be  ?" 

"Well,  I  didn't  know,  but  you  have  seemed  so  changed 
since  you  came  to  us,  I  was  afraid  that  perhaps  I  had 
offended  you  that  day  when  you  told  me  you  wanted 
to  do  something  really  practical  to  help  and  I  discouraged 
you." 

Janetta  laughed  lightly. 

"You  didn't.  If  you  only  knew  it,  you  gave  me  just 
the  right  advice."  She  paused  and  added:  "If  I  seem 
rather  quiet  and  absent-minded,  please  don't  mind  me. 
It  is  because  I  am  trying  to  plan  something  out,  and 
there  are  difficulties  in  the  way." 

"Couldn't  I  help,  dear?"  Mrs.  Cheever  asked  meekly. 

"Perhaps,  but  the  trouble  is  that  I  can't  tell  you  the 
whole  truth.  You  see,  it  isn't  my  own  secret.  If  you 
did  help  me  you  would  have  to  act  rather  in  the  dark." 

"I  don't  mind  that,  Janey.  You  can  be  trusted  not  to 
do  anything  foolish.  Of  course,  I  am  simply  dying  with 
curiosity,  but  perhaps  you  can  tell  me  everything  some 
time.  What  is  it  that  you  want  me  to  do?" 

"You  are  going  to  open  your  camp  up  in  Maine  on 
the  first  of  June,  aren't  you?  I  wonder  if  you  will  mail 
some  letters  for  me  from  there." 

"  'Mail  letters  for  you !'  —  you  mean "  Mrs. 

Cheever  sat  very  straight  in  her  chair  and  eyed  the  girl 
before  her  in  growing  wonder.  ! 

"Yes.  You  are  going  to  be  there  all  summer,  aren't 
you  ?"  At  her  hostess'  nod  Janetta  continued  hurriedly : 


THE   FAR   TRAIL  57 

"I  would  like  to  have  sent  to  you  once  a  month  from 
New  York  a  plain  manila  envelope  with  your  address 
typed  upon  it.  Inside  you  will  find  a  batch  of  letters  from 
me  addressed  to  Ollie  and  to  Mr.  Geddes.  There  will 
be  a  little  date  written  very  faintly  in  pencil  on  the 
corner  of  each.  Will  you  erase  that  and  mail  them  on 
the  dates  named?  And  for  goodness  sake,  don't  get 
them  mixed!" 

"You  mean,  of  course,  that  you  want  them  to  think 
you  are  with  me  all  summer?  But  Janey,  child,  where 
are  you  going?  What  are  you  going  to  do?  Surely  you 
can  tell  me  that." 

Janetta  shook  her  head. 

"That  is  just  what  I  cannot  tell  you,  Persis.  Only 
you  may  be  sure  I  am  not  going  to  do  anything  very 
dreadful.  It  is  just  something  which  Mr.  Geddes  with 
his  old-fashioned  ideas  would  not  approve  of,  and  he 
would  be  sure  to  stir  up  Ollie  and  make  him  unhappy 
over  there  when  there  is  really  no  occasion  for  it.  I 
am  of  age  and  have  a  perfect  right  to  do  as  I  please, 
you  know,  but  I  simply  don't  want  any  fuss  made 
about  it." 

"Janey,  I Of  course,  I  am  willing  to  do  anything 

I  can  for  you,  but  I  do  want  to  be  sure  that  you  are 
acting  wisely."  Mrs.  Cheever  was  plainly  disturbed. 
"Couldn't  you  just  give  me  an  inkling  of  the  sort  of  thing 
you  are  contemplating?  You  know,  I  shall  have  to  fix 
Billy,  too,  for  he  is  bound  to  come  to  town  and  run 
into  Mrs.  Geddes,  and  he  will  have  to  pretend  that  you 
are  in  camp  with  me.  Billy  isn't  very  good  at  pre- 
tending." 

"I  can  tell  you  this  much.     I  have  found  some  real 


58  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

practical  work  for  myself  in  spite  of,  or  rather  because 
of,  what  you  said  to  me  that  day,  in  a  way.  It  is  some- 
thing that  will  really  help,  Persis,  and  you  will  be  help- 
ing, too,  if  you  will  mail  those  letters  for  me,  and  coach 
Billy." 

"But  where  is  this  work?    Here  in  New  York?" 

"No,  but  you  mustn't  worry  about  me.  I  shall  have 
the  very  best  of  chaperones."  Janetta  sighed  and  added 
in  a  monotonous  tone  as  though  she  were  repeating  a 
lesson:  "Someone  years  and  years  older  than  I  am, 
and  eminently  respectable,  someone  whom  Ollie  loves  and 
trusts  implicitly.  Does  that  assurance  satisfy  you, 
Persis?" 

"It  will  have  to,  Janey."  Mrs  Cheever  smiled.  "I 
am  doing  a  perfectly  mad  thing  in  consenting  to  this, 
and  if  Mr.  Geddes  ever  finds  it  out  I  suppose  he  will 
all  but  eat  me,  but  I  will  do  it." 

A  week  later  in  the  bright  sunshine  of  an  early  May 
morning  Janetta  took  leave  of  her  friend.  At  the  curb 
a  taxi  burdened  with  two  battered  trunks  and  an  ancient 
bag  stood  chugging  impatiently. 

As  Mrs.  Cheever's  arms  folded  about  the  girl  in  her 
strangely  shabby  suit,  she  felt  her  trembling. 

"Oh,  Janey,  can't  you  tell  me  what  it  is  all  about, 
dear  ?"  she  implored  for  the  last  time.  "I  am  so  worried 
and  anxious  about  you!  I  feel  that  there  is  something 
underneath  all  this  which  I  should  understand.  Won't 
you,  at  least,  write  to  me?" 

"Yes,  I  will  slip  a  little  note  for  you  in  one  of  those 
manila  envelopes  now  and  then.  Buck  up,  Persis,  I'll 
come  back  with  flying  colors,  you'll  see !  Good-by." 

Yet  it  was  a  suddenly  miserable  Janetta  who  huddled 


THE   FAR   TRAIL  59 

in  a  corner  of  the  taxi  and  fought  back  the  tears  behind 
her  neat,  dark  blue  veil.  Through  all  the  time  of  wait- 
ing and  planning  she  had  been  rilled  with  confidence, 
but  now  with  the  moment  actually  at  hand  a  feeling  of 
utter  dismay  swept  over  her.  What  possible  qualifica- 
tion had  she  for  the  task  which  she  had  set  herself? 
Dared  she  face  the  immediate  future? 

Then  in  a  swift  revulsion  of  feeling  she  straightened 
herself  with  a  little  shake.  Ollie  was  doing  his  share, 
she  would  do  hers.  As  to  qualifications,  well,  she  could 
at  least  "sell  goods  over  a  counter." 

She  carefully  smoothed  down  the  blue  suit  of  two 
seasons  ago,  wriggling  her  fingers  at  the  unaccustomed 
touch  of  the  silk  gloves  which  encased  them,  and  when 
the  station  was  reached  it  was  Jane  Peddar  who  de- 
scended from  the  taxi  and  started  upon  the  far  trail. 


CHAPTER  y 
KATALAK 

TEAMER  in  s5Sht  >'et?"  Jud  Pittinger  came  to 
the  door  of  the  company  store  as  a  tall,  lanky 
figure  paused  for  a  moment  in  the  slanting 
drizzle  of  rain  outside.  "She's  late  again,  by  cracker! 
Well,  I  don't  care  if  she  never  comes  this  time !" 

"What's  eatin'  you,  Jud  ?"  The  tall  figure  looked  down 
on  the  shorter,  rotund  one  with  slowly  dawning  amuse- 
ment. "You're  always  a-lookin'  for  the  old  boat  as  if 
your  best  girl  was  comin'  on  it." 

Jud's  rudely  countenance  flushed  a  deep  crimson. 

"I  been  naterally  anxious,  about  my  new  stock,  with 
you  boys  whoopin'  around  for  stuff  that'd  run  out  a 
month  before  she  opened  up,"  he  asserted  with  dignity. 
"Wish  I  had  your  job  now,  Harve,  in  spite  o'  that  jolt 
you  got  the  other  night.  Find  out  yet  who  it  was  you 
almost  caught  trying  to  bore  holes  in  your  pile  driver?" 

"No,  but  the left  his  ship's  auger  behind 

him,  and  it  don't  belong  to  any  of  our  outfit."  Harve  Dug- 
dale  swore  with  picturesque  fluency  as  he  glanced  down 
at  his  bandaged  hand  and  arm.  "I'd  have  dropped  him, 
too,  orders  or  no  orders,  if  he  hadn't  been  close  enough 
to  bring  that auger  down  on  my  wrist !" 

"What  does  the  new  chief  say  about  it?"  the  store- 
keeper asked  curiously. 

60 


KATALAK  61 

"Not  much  of  anything.  He's  lay  in'  low,  I  reckon, 
till  they  show  their  hand  a  leetle  mite  more."  Harve 
shrugged.  "But  what's  the  matter  with  your  job  here 
that  you're  so  anxious  to  change?  You  act  like  bad 
news  was  comin'  in  on  this  here  steamer." 

"Bad  news  is  right!"  responded  the  storekeeper  with 
unwonted  bitterness.  "I  ain't  said  anything  about  it 
until  the  last  minute,  because  I  knew  gosh  blamed  well 
how  you  boys  would  give  me  the  laugh,  but  my  new 
assistant  is  gettin'  in  one  her  to-day  so  I  might's  well 
let  it  out.  Harve,  what  do  you  think  the  Big  Boss 
has  wished  on  me?" 

"Dunno."  The  superintendent  of  dock  construction 
shifted  his  quid  impartially  from  one  leathery  cheek  to 
the  other  and  gazed  out  over  the  swarming  horde  of 
workmen  at  the  waterfront  to  the  sparkling  blue  of  the 
bay  beyond. 

"It's  a  girl!  A  lady  assistant!"  Unmitigated  shame 
and  disgust  sounded  in  the  little  man's  tones. 

Harve  Dugdale  nearly  swallowed  his  quid,  but  by  a 
mighty  gulp  retrieved  it. 

"A  what  ?"  he  demanded  incredulously. 

"A  female!"  Jud  Pittinger  amplified,  for  the  benefit 
of  his  astounded  listener.  "Hell,  ain't  it?" 

The  last  observation  would  have  been  staggering  under 
other  circumstances,  for  the  storekeeper  was  known 
throughout  the  outfit  for  his  religious  avoidance  of  any 
but  the  most  innocuous  of  expletives,  but  it  passed  un- 
noticed under  the  spell  of  his  cataclysmic  disclosure. 

"A  woman!"  Harve  gasped.  "You — you  feeling  all 
right  this  morning,  Jud?  Ain't  been  hittin'  up  the  red- 
eye over  at  the  Full  Blastt  have  you?" 


62  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

"Wish  I  had!"  Jud  retorted  recklessly.  "What  in 
time  I'm  going  to  do  with  a  girl  in  here  on  Saturday 
nights,  when  all  the  wops  and  Chinks  and  Polacks  pile 
in  to  get  rid  of  some  of  their  dough  before  the  Full 
Blast  gets  it  is  more  than  I  know !  Remember  the  night 
they  tried  to  rush  me?  That  would  have  been  a  fine 
time  to  have  a  hysterical  female  hidin'  behind  the  counter, 
wouldn't  it?" 

"There's  plenty  of  'em  hanging  around  the  Full  Blast 
and  the  Happy  Days  that  wouldn't  have  batted  an 
eye " 

"Not  this  kind,"  declared  Jud  firmly.  "She's  a  lady; 
leastways  that's  what  the  Big  Boss  says." 

"The  hell  he  does!"  Harve  remarked  soberly.  What 
the  general  superintendent  said  usually  carried  weight. 
"What  the — put  the  notion  in  his  head  of  gettin'  a 
woman  up  here  for,  anyway?" 

"Well,  he  says  it's  on  account  of  the  shortage  of  men, 
and  you  know  yourself  what  a  time  we've  had  gettin' 
an  outfit  together,  but  I  guess  maybe  it's  a  poor  relation 
of  somebody  higher  up.  I've  got  to  teach  her  the  busi- 
ness, too!"  Jud  added  indignantly.  "Bet  I  won't  know 
where  half  of  the  stock  is  inside  of  a  week!" 

"A  lady!"  repeated  Harve,  adding  in  some  alarm: 
"How  old  is  she,  Jud?  What'll  we  do  with  her?  She'll 
have  to  go  to  Ma  Heaney's;  I  can't  take  a  single  man 
off  the  job  to  knock  up  a  shack  for  her." 

"She's  young,  I  guess,"  Jud  hazarded  gloomily. 
"Young  enough  to  have  a  father  living,  anyway.  He's 
comin'  up  with  her." 

"Has  the  Big  Boss  got  a  job  lined  up  for  him?"  de- 
manded Harve  with  sudden  interest  of  quite  another 


KATALAK  63 

sort.  "I  can  use  him,  if  he's  out  of  a  wheel-chair! 
I'm  as  shorthanded  as " 

"Don't  know  nothin'  about  that,"  the  storekeeper  in- 
terrupted sourly.  "I  got  my  own  troubles !  I  keep  this 
place  neat  as  I  can  with  the  gang  tromping  in  an'  out, 
but  what  if  she's  one  of  these  here  death-on-dirt  females? 
This  ain't  any  dod-gasted  department  store!" 

"We've  got  to  turn  out  and  give  her  a  reception,  any- 
ways," Harve  remarked.  "Got  any  open-faced  shirts  in 
stock,  Jud?  We'll  have  to " 

He  broke  off  as  running  feet  sounded  upon  the  plank 
sidewalk  and  both  men  turned  to  see  a  snapper  hastening 
toward  them. 

"What  is  it,  Bert?" 

"Loam  in  the  concrete  sand  again!"  the  snapper  an- 
nounced. "Joe  Zurak  swears  it  was  all  right  when  they 
knocked  off  at  seven  last  night,  and  he's  about  ready 
to  knife  somebody!  Ivan  Mirko,  on  the  night  shift, 
don't  know  anything  about  it.  Says  it's  the  third  tine 
this  week." 

"I'll  have  to  see  the  new  chief !"  Harve 

hurried  off,  his  assistant  foreman  at  his  heels,  and  his 
curses  died  away  in  the  sudden  clatter  of  the  pile- 
driver. 

Jud  stood  still  where  they  had  left  him,  staring  out 
through  the  rain  upon  the  familiar  scene  at  the  water- 
front, where  the  bustling  activity  never  ceased  even  for 
the  short  two  hours  of  semi-twilight  which  separated 
one  long  day  from  another  during  the  summer  season 
which  was  just  upon  them. 

At  the  end  of  Main  Street  where  formerly  it  had 
meandered  down  to  the  bay,  the  land  had  been  filled  in 


64  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

A 

to  meet  the  new  dock  for  which  the  last  of  the  piles 
were  being  driven,  and  across  the  way  almost  at  the 
water's  edge  the  Northern  Star  storage  yard  was  stacked 
high  with  kegs  and  boxes,  lumber,  girders  and  all  the  raw 
material  which  would  go  into  the  building  of  the  single- 
track  road. 

In  its  midst  the  full  swing  crane  reared  its  head,  the 
creak  of  the  long  boom  as  it  sorted  the  material  with 
mechanical  precision  breaking  in  upon  the  incessant 
rattle  and  clamor  of  the  pile  driver. 

And  everywhere  there  were  men.  On  the  stringpiece 
near  the  government  breakwater,  where  the  company 
barges  were  moored,  in  the  storage  yard,  swarming  over 
the  half-planked  dock ;  Russians  and  Chinese,  Italians  and 
Hungarians;  with  here  and  there  the  leathery,  lantern- 
jawed  face  of  the  Yankee.  Low  above  them  all  through 
the  misty  drizzle  hung  the  smoke  from  the  salmon  can- 
nery just  beyond. 

It  was  a  scene  for  the  master  hand  of  a  Pennell,  but 
to  Jud  Pittinger's  accustomed  eyes  it  meant  merely  the 
dreary  monotony  of  every-day  existence,  and  he  gazed 
once  more  seaward. 

There  was  still  no  sign  of  the  belated  steamer,  and 
Jud  turned  and  re-entered  the  store  preparatory  for  the 
three-o'clock  shift,  which  would  bring  fresh  trade.  He 
was  piling  pouches  of  tobacco  on  the  shelf  behind  him, 
when  a  heavy  step  sounded  on  the  door-sill  and  a  deep, 
hearty  voice  hailed  him. 

"Hello,  Jud.     Steamer's  late  again." 

Jud  turned  and  greeted  the  general  superintendent 
with  an  air  of  reproachful  resignation. 

"Yes.    I  ain't  particular  'bout  this  boat,  Mr.  Bowers: 


KATALAK  65 

we  got  up  the  supplies  we  needed  most  by  the  other  two 
that  came  in  since  the  season  opened,"  he  replied. 

"Well,  you're  getting  some  new  brands  up  with  this 
cargo;  class  of  goods  you  never  saw  in  a  company  store 
before,  Jud.  Regular  white  man's  cigars,  and  high-grade 
candy  and  razors  with  honest-to-God  steel  blades." 

Jim  Bowers  was  the  biggest  man  in  the  Northern  Star 
outfit :  standing  six  feet  six,  his  breadth  of  shoulder  and 
depth  of  chest  would  have  been  worthy  of  a  Hercules 
and  now  as  he  leaned  over  the  counter  and  stared  down 
at  the  astonished  little  storekeeper,  his  deep-throated 
laugh  boomed  out  above  the  vibrating  roar  and  rattle  of 
the  machinery  outside. 

"What  for?"  Jud  demanded.  "The  boys  are  satisfied 
now,  and  only  the  other  day  a  feller  sneaked  in  that  I 
hadn't  seen  before  and  tried  to  get  some  flannel  shirts. 
I  had  a  hunch  that  he  belonged  to  the  Unatika  outfit 
and  I  sidetracked  him." 

The  general  superintendent's  heavy,  good-natured  face 
grew  serious. 

"I  guess  that's  what  for,  between  you  and  me,"  he 
said  confidentially.  "You  hit  the  nail  on  the  head,  Jud. 
When  I  got  notice  from  the  New  York  office  in  the  last 
mail  that  the  goods  were  coming  up,  together  with  the 
inventory  and  the  fixed  prices  we  were  to  sell  them  for, 
I  saw  that  it  was  a  little  below  cost,  even  back  home. 
There  was  a  quiet  tip  handed  me  to  pass  on  to  you, 
too,  that  if  any  of  the  other  outfit  should  get  wind  of 
the  new  stock  and  try  to  edge:  in,  you  were  to  sell  to  them, 
letting  on  you  thought  they  belonged  to  our  crowd." 

"Well,  may  I  be  eternally  hanged !"  Jud  ejaculated. 
"Is  that  bunch  crazy  back  at  the  head  office?  What 


66  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

in  time  do  they  want  to  sell  to  that  rotten  gang  for, 
and  below  cost  at  that  ?" 

"Search  me!"  Jim  Bowers  shrugged.  "Orders  are 
orders,  that's  all  I  know.  You're  to  keep  this  under 
your  hat,  you  know,  Jud,  and  be  kind  of  sparing  with 
the  new  lot  at  first,  if  you  don't  want  the  store 
stampeded." 

"I'll  be  sparing  of  it!"  Jud  promised  grimly,  adding: 
"I  s'pose  the  flossy  candy  is  for  my  new  assistant !  Say, 
Mr.  Bowers,  what  did  you  hang  her  on  me  for,  anyway  ? 
Ain't  I  got  enough  on  my  hands  as  it  is?" 

"Don't  kick  until  you  see  how  she  turns  out,"  the 
superintendent  advised.  "Here's  your  list  of  the  new 
stuff  that  is  coming  in." 

Jud  glanced  hastily  over  it  and  groaned. 

"Only  a  while  ago  I  said  to  Harve  that  we  weren't 
runnin'  a  department  store,  and  now  look  at  this !  What 
do  they  think  this  place  is,  Paris  ?  Neckties !  Silk  hand- 
kerchiefs! Tea!  Tea!"  he  repeated  bitterly.  "I'd  like 
to  know  who  the  lunatics  are  that  we're  working  for, 
anyway !" 

"The  Northern  Star  is  all  I  know."  Jim  Bowers 
straightened  as  the  whistle  blew.  "See  you  when  the 
'Queen'  comes  up  the  bay." 

For  the  next  half -hour  Jud  was  kept  busily  employed 
by  his  patrons,  but  soon  the  slouching  crowd  of  weary 
workmen  disappeared  to  seek  their  bunks,  and  the  clatter 
of  the  pile  driver  and  creak  of  the  long-boomed  whirley 
which  had  momentarily  ceased  shattered  the  stillness 
once  more.  Jud  set  his  counters  and  shelves  to  rights 
and  then  with  an  eye  to  the  arrival  of  his  new  assistant 
he  swept  the  freshly  accumulated  mud  scrapings  carefully 


KATALAK  67 

from  the  door  before  taking  up  his  post  again  at  the 
door. 

As  he  did  so  a  young  man  emerged  from  the  main 
office  of  the  company,  which  was  situated  between  the 
store  and  the  waterfront,  and  nodded  pleasantly  to  him. 

"The  'Queen'  is  just  in  sight,"  he  said.  "She'll  warp 
in  before  supper." 

Jud  shaded  his  eyes  with  one  leathery  hand  and  descry- 
ing a  small  dark -object  trailing  a  plume  of  smoke  behind 
it  far  out  on  the  sullen  gray  waters,  he  nodded  in  his 
turn,  but  gloomily. 

"Reckoned  she'd  get  in  to-day,  Mr.  Hoyt,"  he  as- 
sented. "You've  heard  about  my  new  assistant  who's 
comin'  in  on  her?" 

The  chief  engineer  smiled,  showing  a  flash  of  white 
teeth  in  his  brown  face. 

"Yes,  you  are  going  to  have  a  saleslady,  I  hear.  I 
wish  I  could  remedy  the  deficiencies  in  my  organization 
as  easily,  Jud." 

"Looka5  here,  Mr.  Hoyt,"  the  storekeeper  observed 
eagerly,  "if  there's  any  place  in  any  of  your  crews  that 
a  woman  could  fill  you  can  take  her  and  welcome.  I 
don't  need  her  no  more'n  a  cat  needs  two  tails.  It  was 
just  an  idee  of  the  general  superintendent." 

"No,  thank  you,"  Barney  Hoyt  laughed.  "I've  got 
enough  trouble  right  now  in  the  outfit  without  intro- 
ducing any  new  elements." 

"I  heard  you  had."  Jud's  face  sobered.  "Bert  said 
Joe  Zurak  found  loam  in  the  concrete  sand  this  morning 
that  wasn't  there  last  night,  and  Mr.  Hoyt,  Zurak's  a 
pretty  steady  man.  Before  you  come " 

"I  know."    The  chief  engineer  spoke  shortly,  and  the 


68  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

boyishness  died  out  of  his  face,  leaving  a  look  of  grim 
tenacity.  "We'll  get  that  road  built  though,  Jud — make 
no  mistake  about  that." 

As  he  turned  with  a  brisk  gesture  and  crossed  the 
street  for  a  word  with  the  boss  of  the  bull  gang  in  the 
storage  yard,  the  storekeeper  watched  him  with  an  ex- 
pression half  admiring,  half  commiserating.  The  new 
engineer  was  there,  all  right.  He  had  nerve  and  un- 
daunted courage,  and  he  had  sailed  in  to  his  job  with 
an  assurance  of  conscious  efficiency  which  many  an  older, 
more  experienced  executive  might  well  have  lacked.  But 
he  was  little  more  than  a  boy  and  the  influences  at  work 
against  him  were  strong  and  ruthless. 

Jud  Pittinger  was  not  by  nature  a  timorous  man,  but 
he  had  seen  enough  of  the  machinations  of  the  Unatika 
outfit  since  he  had  been  storekeeper  for  the  Northern 
Star  to  realize  that  trouble  lay  ahead. 

Would  the  boy  be  equal  to  the  emergency?  Brief  as 
had  been  the  time  since  his  arrival  to  take  charge  of 
the  outfit,  he  seemed  already  to  have  attained  a  definite 
degree  of  popularity  amid  the  horde  of  mixed  races  and 
nationalities.  But  would  they  follow  his  leadership  in 
a  moment  of  possible  stress  and  violence  if  it  came  to 
a  show-down  between  the  two  factions  at  war  for  that 
single-track  road  to  the  mines? 

The  trail  of  smoke  upon  the  horizon  grew  steadily 
nearer,  the  dark  object  resolved  itself  into  the  outlines 
of  the  sturdy  little  "Queen  of  Alaska,"  and  just  as  the 
seven  o'clock  whistle  sounded  from  the  cannery  the 
steamer  drew  in  and  anchored  as  near  as  she  dared  to 
the  breakwater.  The  men  from  bunkhouse  and  mess 
crowded  down  with  one  accord  to  the  waterfront,  joined 


KATALAK  69 

by  the  employees  of  the  canning  factory,  and  Jud  Pit- 
tinger  locked  the  door  of  the  company  store  and  fol- 
lowed. 

The  hatches  were  open  and  the  crane  was  already 
bringing  the  cargo  from  the  hold  to  pile  it  upon  the  decks 
of  the  steamer,  but  as  Jud  reached  the  filled-in  ground 
behind  the  dock  space  a  horse  cage  swung  out  from 
the  side  of  the  "Queen"  to  the  stringpiece  and  a  shout 
rang  out  from  many  brawny  throats. 

Harve  Dugdale  clutched  his  arm. 

"Here  she  comes !"  he  shouted  in  Jud's  ear.  "Here's 
your  new  assistant.  By ,  it's  only  a  girl !" 

Willing  hands  moored  the  cage  close  to  the  end  of 
the  stringpiece  and  there  emerged  first  an  elderly  man 
of  dignified  appearance  and  a  decided  paunch,  who 
stepped  gingerly  out  and  looked  about  him  with  be- 
wildered, shocked  gaze.  A  little  impatient  push  made 
him  step  quickly  aside  and  extend  his  arm,  but  the  trim, 
slender  figure  in  blue  spurned  his  aid  and  with  a  gay, 
little  gesture  for  him  to  follow,  tripped  down  the  string- 
piece  to  the  shore. 

The  men  drew  back,  eying  her  curiously,  but  from 
among  them  one  stepped  forward  with  outstretched 
hand. 

"Is  this  Miss  Peddar?  Glad  to  meet  you,  Miss.  I'm 
Jim  Bowers,  the  general  superintendent." 

The  girl  laid  her  hand  in  his  powerful  grip  and  favored 
him  with  a  smile  which  brought  a  deep,  crimson  flush  to 
his  broad  face  before  she  turned  and  beckoned  to  the 
reluctantly  approaching  elderly  man, 

"This  is  my  father,  Mr.  Bowers.  He — he's  a  little 
upset  from  the  trip.  It  was  rather  rough."  A  little 


TO  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

unmistakable  giggle  escaped  her.  "But  he  will  be  all 
right  by  to-morrow.  Will  I — will  it  be  necessary  for 
me  to  start  work  to-night?" 

"No,  indeed."  Could  it  be  the  Big  Boss  speaking  in 
such  dulcet  tones?  "Take  your  time  and  get  rested  up, 
Miss.  You've  come  a  long  way.  You  can  start  with 
the  seven  o'clock  shift  to-morrow  morning,  if  you  like. 
Glad  to  know  you,  too,  Mr.  Peddar.  You'll  like  it  here 
first  rate.  Katalak's  small,  but  it's  wide  open,  and  if 
you'd  like  a  job  yourself  later  on  I  can  fix  you  up." 

Peddar  surreptitiously  wriggled  his  fingers  as  they 
emerged  from  that  crushing  grasp,  and  regarded  the 
smiling  giant  before  him  with  eyes  of  honest  horror. 

"This  is  Katalak?"  he  asked  feebly.  "This— all  of 
it?" 

"You  said  it,"  Jim  acquiesced  with  pardonable  pride. 
"You  can't  see  it  all  from  here,  but  up  Main  Street  there 
we've  got  two  saloons  with  as  stiff  a  game  going  as  any 
north  of  the  line,  and  a  restaurant  and  general  store 
beside  the  cannery  you  see  over  there.  There's  nothing 

slow  about  us  and  when  the  railroad  goes  through ' 

He  broke  off  and  added :  "But  you'll  want  to  be  getting 
on  up  to  your  lodgings.  Sorry  there's  no  shack  ready 
for  you,  but  I've  been  short-handed  ever  since  Mr.  Mac- 
Leod's letter  came.  You'll  be  all  right  at  Ma  Heaney's, 
though.  She'll  take  right  good  care  of  your  daughter 
and  make  it  comfortable  for  you  till  you  can  get  quarters 
of  your  own." 

"You  are  very  kind,  Mr.  Bowers,"  the  girl  spoke  with 
an  air  of  finality,  "but  you  mustn't  take  any  extra  trouble 
on  our  account.  I've  come  up  to  work  for  you  just  like 
any  other  employee  of  the  outfit,  and  I — we — we'll  get 


KATALAK  71 

along  all  right.  Where  is  this  Mrs.  Heaney's?  Is  it 
a  boarding  house?" 

"Lodging  house,"  the  superintendent  corrected  her. 
"It's  just  up  Main  Street ;  I'll  show  you.  Your  baggage 
will  come  off  in  the  next  trip  of  the  cage." 

The  men  who  had  crowded  about  again,  drinking  in 
every  word,  fell  back  silently  and  made  a  path  between 
the  storage  yard  and  the  shore  line  as  big  Jim  Bowers 
turned  and  led  the  way. 

"Peddar — father!"  The  girl  gave  the  elderly  man's 
arm  a  little  shake.  "Come  along  and  don't  look  so 
shocked !" 

"Yes,  miss,  but  I'd  have  a  few  words  to  say  to  Mr. 
MacLeod  if  he  was  here!  To  send  you  to  a  heathen 
place  like  this.  Oh,  miss,  we  shall  never  be  able " 

"'Jane!'"  the  girl  whispered  fiercely.  "How  often 
have  I  told  you  not  to  call  me,  'miss?'  Play  up;  you 
know  how  much  depends  on  you — father." 

A  hollow  groan  was  her  only  answer  as  Peddar  fol- 
lowed her  to  the  planked  sidewalk  on  Main  Street,  where 
the  mud  oozed  up  between  the  boards  upon  his  im- 
maculate shoes,  and  strange,  rough-looking  characters  in 
nondescript  costumes  of  toil  eyed  him  with  what  he 
took  be  baleful  antagonism  on  every  hand. 

The  Full  Blast  was  living  up  to  its  name  as  they 
passed.  Through  the  swinging  door  the  rattle  of  chips 
and  odor  of  stale  liquor  drifted  out  to  them,  and  above 
the  clink  of  glass  and  shuffle  of  feet  a  raucous  voice  was 
already  raised  in  unmelodious  and  decidedly  ribald 
song. 

Peddar's  gait  quickened  until  he  reached  the  side  of 
his  self -elected  daughter  and  her  companion.  Neither 


72  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

had  noticed  the  figure  which  stood  outside  the  main  office 
of  the  company  across  the  way  and  gazed  after  them 
with  a  speculative  look  in  the  deep  brown  eyes. 

"Where  in  thunder  have  I   seen  that  girl  before?" 
murmured  the  construction  engineer,  Barney  Hoyt. 


CHAPTER  VI 
THE  I.  W.  W.  THING  AGAIN 

THE  huge,  square,  two-storied,  unpainted  shack 
before  which  their  guide  paused  reminded  the 
girl  of  a  forlorn  country  orphanage  which  she 
had  once  seen  and  involuntarily  she  gave  a  little  shudder, 
but  a  dolorous  groan  from  Peddar  warned  her  not  to 
betray  her  own  sinking  spirits  lest  he  collapse  altogether 
from  the  accumulated  shock  of  their  journey's  end. 

With  a  reassuring  pat  upon  his  arm  she  started  up 
the  shallow  steps  when  the  door  flew  open  and  its  space 
was  veritably  filled  by  a  wide  uncorseted  figure  which 
promptly  extended  two  fat  arms  in  greeting. 

"Come  right  in,  dearie.  This  your  Pa?  We've  been 
expectin'  you  all  day,  but  the  'Queen's'  allus  late.  I'm 
mighty  glad  you  got  here  safe  and  sound!" 

"Jane  Peddar"  suddenly  found  herself  clasped  in  a 
warm  and  none  too  clean  embrace,  from  which  a  short 
month  ago  she  would  have  recoiled  in  amazed  resentment, 
but  now  a  little  inaudible  sob  welled  up  in  her  throat, 
and  for  an  instant  her  head  drooped  against  the  capa- 
cious bosom.  The  coarsened  voice  held  a  motherly  note 
which  struck  a  treacherously  responsive  chord  in  the 
girl's  lonely,  dismayed  heart  and  for  the  first  and  last 
time  she  was  perilously  near  a  breakdown. 

The  next  moment  she  had  set  her  little  teeth  reso- 

73 


74  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

lutely  and  drew  herself  with  all  gentleness  from  Ma 
Heaney's  welcoming  arms. 

"Thank  you,  Mrs.  Heaney,  I'm  glad  to  be  here."  A 
backward  glance  at  Peddar's  scandalized  face  brought  a 
hysterical  giggle  almost  to  her  lips,  but  she  fought  it 
down.  "Come  in,  father." 

"You,  too,  Jim,"  Ma  Heaney  supplemented  hos- 
pitably. "There's  a  little  something  behind  the  desk 
that  you  know  you're  allus  welcome  to,  and  I  guess  a 
couple  of  fingers  wouldn't  go  bad  for  your  Pa,  either, 
Miss  Peddar;  he  looks  sort  o'  done  up."  She  led  the 
way  into  a  dingy  office  walled  with  thin  unpainted  pine 
boards  and  furnished  with  a  few  uncertain  looking 
chairs,  a  long  counter  which  evidently  served  as  a  desk 
and  a  huge  stove  from  which  a  roaring  fire  sent  out 
cheering  waves  of  heat. 

"Take  a  drink  if  she  offers  it,  Peddar;  you've  got  to!" 
Jane  whispered  in  a  peremptory  aside  and  crossing  to 
the  stove  warmed  herself  while  she  watched  the  cere- 
monial with  amused  eyes. 

Ma  Heaney  produced  a  bottle  and  two  glasses  from 
beneath  the  counter,  poured  a  copious  drink  into  each 
and  offered  one  to  the  miserable  Peddar.  Big  Jim  Bowers 
lifted  the  other. 

"Here  goes !"  he  said,  including  the  girl  in  a  sweeping 
wave  of  his  arm.  "Hope  you'll  like  it  here  with  us 
in  Katalak." 

She  nodded,  smilingly,  while  Ma  Heaney  beamed  and 
Peddar,  concealing  a  grimace,  heroically  drank  the  con- 
tents of  his  glass  in  one  desperate  gulp.  Instantly  a 
rich  purple  hue  mounted  to  his  brow  and  as  a  strangled 


THE  I.   W.   W.   THING   AGAIN  75 

gasp  emanated  from  his  outraged  throat  their  hostess 
turned  to  Jane. 

"Come  on  up  and  I'll  show  you  the  room  I  got  fixed 
for  you,"  she  invited.  "It  ain't  much,  but  it's  clean,  if 
I  do  say  it.  Your  Pa'll  have  to  bunk  in  with  the  boys 
to-night,  but  he  looks  plumb  wore  out,  and  I  guess  he 
won't  care  so  long  as  he  gets  some  sleep.  I've  warned 
'em  not  to  start  no  rough-house  with  him." 

The  room  to  which  Ma  Heaney  conducted  the  girl 
was  a  narrow  cell-like  space  thinly  partitioned  off  from 
the  others  in  the  long  row  after  the  manner  of  a  dormi- 
tory. Jane  looked  about  at  the  iron  cot,  rickety  wash- 
stand  and  single  chair  which  the  room  contained  and  her 
fastidious  soul  rose  in  anguished  protest.  How  could 
she  ever  endure  it?  The  whole  episode  of  their  arrival 
seemed  to  her  like  some  horrible  nightmare  from  which 
she  must  soon  awaken  to  find  herself  back  amid  her 
own  familiar,  luxurious  surroundings  once  more.  But 
Ma  Heaney's  hoarse,  good-natured  voice  brought  her 
back  swiftly  to  the  grim  reality. 

"You  ain't  never  been  'round  a  mining  town  before, 
have  you?" 

Jane  shook  her  head. 

"Well,  if  you  hear  a  kind  of  a  racket  up  here  'round 
about  eleven  when  the  last  shift  goes  off  and  the  first 
goes  on  of  the  Northern  Star  outfit  that  you're  goin'  to 
work  for,  don't  get  scairt  or  nothin'.  I  got  a  few  of 
the  foremen  lodgin'  here  with  me,  and  they're  bound  to 
skylark  a  little  though  I  warned  'em.  There  ain't  a 
mite  of  harm  in  'em  and  they'll  treat  you  right."  Ma 
Heaney  broke  off  and  added:  "You  don't  look  like 
the  kind  of  a  girl  that  would  pick  out  Katalak  to  work 


76  THE  SINGLE  TRACK 

in  when  there's  so  many  stores  back  home,  but  they 
tell  me  there's  no  limit  to  what  our  seek  is  doing  in 
place  of  the  men- folks  now  that  they're  all  gone  off  to 
war." 

Jane  braced  herself  warily.  This  was  the  first  note 
of  suspicion. 

"Well,  you  see  my  father  has  been  dreaming  of  getting 
up  into  this  country  ever  since  the  first  Klondike  rush, 
and  the  Northern  Star  people  offered  me  such  good 
wages  that  we  thought  we  would  come  and  he  could  look 
over  the  ground  a  little."  Jane  lied  glibly.  "Then  when 
my  brother  comes  back  from  the  war,  maybe  we  could 
stake  out  a  claim  somewhere." 

"Good  land!  Your  Pa  got  that  notion  too,  at  his 
time  o'  life?"  Ma  Heaney  sighed.  "If  you  knowed  how 
many  of  'em  I'd  seen  come  and  go — I've  grubstaked 
more'n  one  of  'em,  too,  when  I  was  a  newcomer — you'd 
get  that  idee  out  of  his  head !  This  part  o'  the  country 
is  staked  out  already  like  a  buryin'  ground ;  and  a  buryin' 
ground  it's  been  for  most  o'  the  poor  suckers." 

"Yet  a  new  copper  mine  was  discovered  up  here  only 
recently  right  near  the  Northern  Star,  wasn't  it?"  Jane 
glanced  covertly  at  her  landlady  as  she  spoke.  "The 
'Una'-something  it  is  called,  isn't  it?" 

Ma  Heaney  thrust  back  a  wisp  of  hair  in  which  gray 
battled  with  the  glint  of  peroxide,  and  a  certain  grimness 
made  itself  manifest  about  her  generous  mouth. 

"Unatika,"  she  supplied  the  name  shortly.  "Can't  tell 
how  good  it'll  be  yet,  the  ground  ain't  hardly  scratched. 
I'll  go  show  your  Pa  where  to  wash  up,  and  when  you're 
ready  the  eatin'  house  is  right  across  the  street." 

Left  alone,  Jane  approached  the  bed  and  turned  it 


THE   I.   W.   W.   THING   AGAIN  77 

down  with  two  shrinking  fingers  to  inspect  the  thin  red 
blankets  and  coarse  gray-looking  sheets,  then  shudder- 
ingly  perched  herself  on  the  edge  of  the  chair.  Never, 
never  had  she  supposed  that  it  would  be  as  dreadful  as 
this!  The  impressions  of  the  last  hour  had  been  so 
vividly,  deeply  stamped  upon  her  consciousness  that 
tkey  had  quite  obliterated  her  vague  preconception  of 
what  had  lain  before  her. 

She  had  taken  it  for  granted  that  there  would  be 
many  workmen  about;  workmen  in  neat  overalls,  brisk 
and  smiling  and  respectful.  The  sea  of  faces  which 
had  pressed  about  her  at  the  landing  stage,  Latin,  Slavic 
and  Mongolian,  but  alike  unshaven  and  lowering,  had 
struck  the  first  dismay  to  her  heart,  and  now  this  bare, 
hideous  place,  and  the  common  creature  who  presided 
over  it  filled  her  with  unutterable  disgust  and  loathing. 
Could  she  bring  herself  to  live  the  life  of  these  awful 
people  for  the  weeks  and  months  which  lay  ahead? 

But  it  was  for  Ollie!  It  was  to  do  his  work  that 
she  had  come!  The  thought  made  her  straighten  in 
her  chair,  and  her  small  chin  thrust  itself  out  dominantly. 
What  did  dirt  and  squalor  and  loneliness  and  a  horde 
of  savages  matter  when  it  meant  taking  up  the  task 
which  he  had  relinquished  for  a  greater,  higher  one? 
She  could  not  fail  now ;  she  had  come  far  to  keep  watch 
and  ward  over  what  was  Ollie's  and  her  own,  and  she 
would  not  turn  back  like  a  coward  at  the  first  glimpse 
of  the  field  of  her  future  work. 

The  thought  of  her  brother  reminded  her  that  she 
must  hasten  to  apprise  Peddar  of  the  new  addition  to 
his  recently  acquired  family,  and  afterwards  rearrang- 
ing her  hair  she  descended  to  the  office.  The  superin- 


78  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

tendent  had  vanished,  but  Peddar,  still  lightly  flushed 
from  the  effects  of  his  unusual  libation,  awaited  her  in 
a  stoical  silence. 

"Come  along,  father,  we  had  better  go  and  have 
dinner, — er,  supper,"  Jane  announced  cheerfully.  "The 
restaurant  is  just  across  the  street,  Mrs.  Heaney  says." 

As  he  allowed  himself  to  be  drawn  toward  the  door 
Peddar  vouchsafed  with  the  calmness  born  of  despera- 
tion : 

"I've  never  gone  against  you,  miss,  but  if  your  grand- 
father was  to  see  you  now  he  would  turn  in  his  grave !" 

"Oh,  bother  my  grandfather!"  Jane  snapped.  "You've 
had  all  my  ancestors  turning  in  their  graves  ever  since 
we  left  New  York!  They  must  be  a  restless  lot!" 

"Miss  Janey "  Peddar  halted,  shocked  at  the  sacri- 
lege, but  she  dragged  him  remorselessly  on.  "When  I 
saw  that  impossible  person  put  her  arms  about  you,  I 
made  up  my  mind  to  one  thing.  I  shall  write  to  Mr. 
Geddes  to-morrow.  I  know  my  dooty,  miss " 

"You'll  do  no  such  thing!"  retorted  his  self-styled 
daughter.  "You're  not  thinking  of  me  at  all,  Peddar, 
or  of  Ollie's  interests  that  are  at  stake ;  you're  just  think- 
ing of  your  own  comfort!  You  want  to  go  back  to 
New  York,  and  you  don't  care  what  happens " 

"Miss  Janey — Jane,  I  mean "  His  tone  was  filled 

with  honest  reproach.  "I'm  thinking  of  what's  due  to 
a  Gil " 

"If  you  are,  you  will  stay  right  here  and  write  nothing 
to  anyone,"  Jane  interrupted  firmly.  "By  the  way, 
Ollie's  your  son,  too;  I  had  to  invent  a  brother  who 
was  going  to  come  up  here  and  stake  out  a  claim  after 


THE   I.    W.    W.   THING   AGAIN  79 

the  war,  to  account  to  Mrs.  Heaney  for  our  presence 
here  now." 

Peddar's  only  answer  was  a  faint  groan,  as  they  en- 
tered the  Elite  Restaurant  and  seated  themselves  at  one 
end  of  a  long  linoleum-covered  table. 

Jane  looked  about  her  with  frank  interest.  The  place 
was  sparsely  filled  at  that  hour,  but  scattered  about  at 
the  other  tables  she  found  many  types  wholly  new  and 
strange  to  her.  Near  the  door  two  heavily  bearded  men, 
with  the  rain  dripping  from  their  rubber  coats  and 
turned-back  hat  brims,  lounged  over  the  remains  of  their 
meal,  smoking  villainous  pipes  and  staring  at  her  with 
a  wondering,  compelling  gaze. 

She  moved  her  eyes  hastily  to  encounter  the  curious, 
half -resentful  glances  of  a  girl  seated  alone  at  the  next 
table;  a  girl  dressed  in  tawdry,  cheap  finery,  who 
shrugged  her  thin  shoulders  beneath  the  sleazy  silk  gown 
in  a  gesture  of  utter  weariness  as  she  turned  sullenly 
away.  There  was  an  indefinable  sense  of  pitiful  youth 
about  her  yet  her  eyes  were  as  old  as  the  world.  Jane 
wondered  if  this  could  be  one  of  the  dance-hall  denizens 
of  whom  she  had  spoken  so  airily  to  Adam  MacLeod; 
if  it  were,  then  the  movies  had  revealed  but  a  travesty 
of  the  truth. 

Through  a  swinging  door  she  could  see  two  impassive- 
faced  Chinamen  moving  with  incredible  swiftness  from 
stove  to  pantry  shelves  and  a  solitary  waiter  in  a  grimy 
apron  limped  about  the  table  at  the  rear,  where  a  group 
of  brawny  young  men  were  eating  with  audible  gusto. 
Their  collarless  shirts  rolled  up  at  the  elbows  and  turned 
in  at  the  throat  revealed  powerful  brown  arms  and  thick 
necks  upon  which  the  muscles  stood  out  like  cords.  Jane 


8o  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

wondered  if  they  could  be  her  workmen,  hers  and  Ollie's, 
and  with  the  thought  she  felt  a  queer,  democratic  im- 
pulse of  friendliness  steal  over  her.  They  looked  so 
young  and  strong;  as  if  they  could  be  good  workers  and 
good  fighters,  too,  if  the  need  arose. 

The  waiter  came  to  them  and  she  ordered  a  simple 
meal  from  the  choice  he  submitted  to  her  in  a  nasal 
monotone,  then  turned  to  her  companion. 

"Isn't  this  fun,  father?" 

"Fun !"  repeated  Peddar  sepulchrally.  "It's  a  disgrace 
for  you  to  be  in  such  a  place!  I  don't  know  what's 
come  over  you,  miss — Jane.  I  don't,  indeed !  You 
aren't  the  same  young  lady  as  you  were;  your  brother 
would  never  know  you  in  the  world !  To  see  you  eating 
with  steel  forks,  from  china  that  wouldn't  be  allowed  in 
your  grandfather's  kitchen  and  food  that's  enough  to 
poison  you " 

"Nonsense!"  returned  Jane  briskly.  "This  salmon  is 
good,  and  as  long  as  we  don't  know  what  the  potatoes  are 
fried  in " 

She  paused  as  a  newcomer  entered  and  after  a  cool 
survey  of  the  room  advanced  deliberately  to  their  table 
and  pulled  out  a  chair.  He  was  tall  and  dark,  with  pale, 
glinting  eyes  and  the  bluish  tinge  about  his  heavy  jaw 
showed  that  he  was  freshly  shaven.  He  favored  Jane 
with  an  insolently  appraising  stare  and  as  the  blood 
rushed  indignantly  to  her  cheeks  she  became  aware  that 
the  mingled  clatter  of  voices  and  knives  at  the  rear  table 
had  ceased. 

"Evenin',  ol'  timer."  The  man  nodded  casually  to 
Peddar,  who  bowed  frigidly  in  response.  "Good  trip 
on  the 'Queen?'" 


THE   I.   W.   W.   THING  AGAIN  81 

Peddar  cleared  his  throat. 

"Very  fair." 

"You  and  the  lady  aimin'  to  stay  here  in  Katalak  or 
hit  the  trail  for  the  north?"  The  stranger  leered  at 
Jane.  "Not  much  around  here  to  amuse  a  lady " 

Peddar  rose  to  the  occasion  and  his  feet  with  unex- 
pected aplomb. 

"My  daughter  has  come  here  to  work,  sir."  He  beck- 
oned to  the  waiter.  "Come,  Jane." 

"Peddar,  you  old  dear!"  Jane  squeezed  his  arm  affec- 
tionately as  they  emerged  once  more  into  the  strange 
eerie  daylight.  "You  sat  on  him  beautifully!  What  a 
dreadful  man!" 

"It's  only  to  be  expected,"  Peddar  responded  mourn- 
fully. "If  we've  got  to  stay  in  this  wretched  hole, 
miss,  you  are  not  to  go  outside  the  door  without  me. 
One  step  and  I  shall  write  to  Mr.  Geddes,  I  shall,  in- 
deed!" 

"Don't  you  worry  about  me;  I  can  take  care  of  my- 
self," she  asserted,  but  her  tone  was  a  shade  less  con- 
fident than  before. 

The  insolent  stare*  of  the  man  with  the  curiously  light 
eyes  had  shaken  her  more  than  she  would  have  admitted 
and  long  after  she  had  carefully  peeled  the  covering  from 
her  bed  and  lain  herself  upon  it  beneath  her  steamer  rugs 
his  leering  face  rose  before  her. 

The  task  which  she  had  assumed  grew  more  and  more 
stupendous,  more  and  more  unlikely  of  achievement. 
How  could  she,  a  mere  girl,  hope  to  discover  and  frus- 
trate the  power  behind  the  men  who  were  working  to 
delay  the  road  and  finally  wrest  it  and  the  Northern  Star 
with  it  from  Ollie  and  herself? 


82  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

This  was  a  strange  country,  the  people  alien  and  hor- 
rible! Even  Ma  Heaney,  who  meant  to  be  kind,  and 
that  bluff,  hearty  superintendent  were  impossible,  as 
Peddar  had  said.  She  had  never  come  into  contact  in 
all  her  sheltered  existence  with  individuals  of  such  a 
class ;  she  did  not  know  how  to  touch  them,  reach  them ; 
there  was  no  common  ground  upon  which  they  could 
meet  and  she  shrank  from  the  thought  of  such  a  meeting. 

The  daylight  which  still  flooded  her  room  made  sleep 
impossible  to  her  unaccustomed  eyes  and  she  waited  in 
terror  for  the  eleven  o'clock  whistle  which  would  mean 
the  change  of  shift.  The  partitions  were  so  thin  that 
she  could  hear  above  the  subdued  but  never  ceasing 
clatter  of  the  pile-driver  a  chorus  of  snores  in  innumer- 
able keys  all  about  her.  Ma  Heaney  had  told  her  of 
the  "racket"  that  would  ensue,  but  was  that  all  she  had 
to  fear?  Suppose  some  blundering  giant,  drunk  per- 
haps, should  come  crashing  through  her  flimsy  door? 
Where  was  Peddar? 

With  the  first  screech  of  the  whistle  she  started  up  in 
bed  and  then  fell  back,  burying  her  face  and  head  in 
the  thin  pillow,  but  no  pandemonium  such  as  her  ap- 
prehensive fancy  painted  came  to  her.  There  was  a 
stir  of  movement  and  sound  down  the  length  of  the 
hall;  boots  scraping  cautiously  upon  the  floor,  noisy 
yawns  as  quickly  suppressed,  hoarse  grumbling  mono- 
tones that  were  meant  to  be  whispers  and  at  last  a 
tread  of  heavy  feet  tiptoeing  clumsily  down  the  stairs. 
Ma  Heaney  had  warned  them,  she  said :  could  it  be  that 
they  were  keeping  quiet  because  of  her  nearness? 

Even  as  the  thought  came  someone  stumbled,  and  a 
rumbling  voice  reached  her  ears. 


THE   I.   W.   W.   THING  AGAIN  83 

"Can  that,  you!    Remember  the  lady!" 

And  they  were  the  foremen  of  the  Northern  Star,  her 
foremen!  Again  that  warm,  comforting  glow  stole  up 
in  her  heart.  Why,  they  were  friends  already!  Surely 
her  task  would  not  be  impossible  with  such  men  to 
back  her  up. 

She  did  not  realize  the  change  which  circumstances 
had  wrought,  the  miracle  which  was  taking  place  within 
her.  The  Janetta'  Gildersleeve  of  a  month  before  would 
have  taken  it  for  granted  that  all  things  must  be  sub- 
jugated to  her  will,  all  people  subservient  to  her  com- 
fort, but  Jane  Peddar  was  grateful  for  the  rough 
chivalry  of  road-builders,  nor  did  thought  of  caste  dis- 
turb the  slumber  into  which  she  fell  even  before  the 
weary  feet  of  the  men  of  the  last  shifted  plodded  up 
the  stairs. 

With  the  morning,  although  the  dreary  drizzle  of  rain 
still  fell  uninterruptedly,  Jane  felt  a  reaction  from  the 
despondency  of  the  night  before  in  a  sweeping  tide  of 
renewed  courage,  and  she  descended  the  stairs  in  high 
spirits  to  find  Peddar  waiting  doggedly  below. 

"Good-morning,  father."  She  patted  his  head 
roguishly  and  he  submitted  to  the  mutual  indignity  with 
the  meekness  of  resignation.  "Did  you  have  a  nice 
sleep?" 

"Not  a  wink,"  he  assured  her  gloomily.  "What  with 
no  night-time  at  all  and  the  men  all  crowding  in — but 
were  you  quite  all  right,  miss — Jane?" 

"Absolutely,  and  I  think  you  are  an  old  fraud!  You 
look  as  if  you  had  slept  for  a  month!  Nevertheless,  I 
think  you  had  better  look  about  to-day  for  a  little  shack 


84  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

where  we  can  keep  house.  If  you  don't  know  how  to 
cook  I  can  learn,  and  I  don't  like  that  restaurant." 

"I'll  have  some  sort  of  a  place  by  nightfall — I  mean 
the  time  that  would  be  nightfall  in  a  Christian  country — 
if  I  have  to  turn  out  the  people  that  are  in  it !"  Peddar 
promised  darkly.  "That  restaurant  is  no  place  and 
neither  is  this  tramps'  lodging  house !  If  they  only  knew 
who  you  were,  miss " 

They  were  crossing  the  street  and  no  one  was  in 
earshot,  but  Jane  pressed  his  arm  warningly. 

"You  must  be  careful  and  try  to  remember  not  to  call 
me  that,"  she  said.  "And  Ma  Heaney's  is  no  tramps' 
lodging  house;  those  men  are  as  self-respecting  as  you 
or  I,  and  of  quite  as  much  use  in  the  world.  I'm  be- 
ginning to  see  a  lot  of  things  that  I've  been  blind  to 
before." 

Peddar  gasped  at  such  rank  heresy  to  the  caste  at 
whose  shrine  he  had  worshiped  all  his  conventional 
life,  but  he  made  no  direct  comment.  Instead  he  coughed 
deprecatingly  and  remarked: 

"I've  not  seen  the  young  man  that's  in  charge  of  it 
all  up  here,  yet;  the  new  engineer  you  were  mentioning 
to  me,  m — Jane." 

"Why,  that's  so!  I  hadn't  thought  about  him,  every- 
thing has  been  so  new  and  strange."  Jane  paused,  then 
added  with  a  little  laugh.  "We'll  see  him  later,  but  we're 
not  important  enough  to  meet  him  right  away,  you 
know;  we  are  only — at  least  I  am — among  the  minor 
workers,  and  quite  beneath  his  notice." 

Yet  when  they  emerged  from  the  eating-house  after  a 
hasty  breakfast  amid  a  noisy  crowd  of  laborers  and 
returning  miners  from  up  country  hurrying  to  catch 


THE   I.    W.    W.   THING   AGAIN  85 

the  "Queen,"  they  found  Jim  Bowers  waiting  before 
the  door  and  he  was  not  alone.  A  tall,  young  man,  slight 
in  comparison  with  the  superintendent's  massive  frame, 
but  with  a  lithe  springiness  about  his  easy  poise  which 
bespoke  the  athlete,  stood  talking  earnestly  with  him. 

"Good-morning,  miss."  Jim  Bowers  swept  off  his 
drenched  rubber  hat.  "This  is  Mr.  Hoyt,  the  construction 
engineer  and  boss  of  the  whole  Northern  Star  works." 

Jane  placed  her  hand  in  the  outstretched  one  and 
glanced  up  with  a  smile  to  meet  a  pair  of  quizzical  brown 
eyes  bent  upon  hers.  One  startled  flash  of  memory  and 
the  smile  froze  upon  her  lips. 

There  was  no  mistaking  those  brown  eyes  nor  the 
carriage  of  the  head  with  its  slightly  curling  chestnut 
hair  and  clean-cut  features. 

It  was  the  insufferably  rude  young  man  of  that  chance 
encounter  which  might  have  been  so  tragic  on  that  West- 
chester  road  at  midnight  weeks  before!  The  I.  W.  W. 
Thing  again! 


CHAPTER  VII 
AN  ENEMY  AND  A  FRIEND 

JUD  PITTINGER  took  one  look  at  the  vision  in 
the  rubberized  mackinaw  with  the  red-gold  hair 
shimmering  from  beneath  her  waterproof  hat  and 
dodged  precipitately  behind  the  counter  as  big  Jim  Bowers 
led  her  forward. 

"Mr.  Pittinger,"  the  superintendent  began  with  due 
ceremony,  "this  is  your  new  assistant,  Miss  Peddar.  I 
told  her  you  would  take  charge  of  her  and  show  her  the 
ropes." 

"Howdy,  Miss."  Jud  drew  a  deep  breath  as  he  care- 
fully wiped  his  hand  on  his  trousers  before  extending 
it  to  meet  the  little  one  held  out  to  him.  "Glad  you 
g-got  here ;  I've  been  terrible  shorthanded." 

"Where  shall  I  put  my  hat  and  coat?  On  that  peg 
up  there?"  Jane  asked  in  a  business-like  way,  nodding 
toward  a  row  behind  the  counter.  "Now  I  am  ready 
to  start  right  in." 

"Gosh!"  Jud  was  still  staring  at  her  as  if  hypnotized 
and  his  tone  was  filled  with  wondering  admiration.  Here 
was  a  female  that  didn't  make  no  fuss  but  got  down 
to  brass  tacks  just  like  a  man.  She  was  a  lady,  too,  a 
regular  'lady,  if  he  was  any  judge.  What  in  tarnation 
was  she  doing  up  here  in  a  mining  company's  store? 

The  deep-throated  voice  of  Jim  Bowers  awoke  him 
from  his  reverie. 

86 


AN  ENEMY  AND  A  FRIEND  87 

"Well,  I  got  to  get  on  down  to  the  docks.  'That  new 
stock  of  yours  that  I  told  you  about  yesterday  is  all 
unloaded  and  as  soon  as  it's  sorted  out  from  the  rest 
I'll  send  it  on  up.  So  long,  Miss  Peddar;  if  there's 
anything  I  can  do  for  you  just  you  let  me  know." 

She  smiled  her  thanks  and  then  turned  to  the  store- 
keeper. 

"How  shall  I  begin?"  she  asked  simply. 

"Oh,  I  guess  I  better  show  you  where  things  is  and 
give  you  the  list  of  prices."  Jud  added  in  a  careful  tone: 
"Ain't  you  ever  worked  in  a  store  before?" 

Jane  started  to  shake  her  head  and  then  a  sudden 
memory  made  her  dimple. 

"I — I've  sold  things  over  a  counter,"  she  admitted. 

"What  sort  of  things?"  Jud  blinked  at  the  glimpse 
of  that  dimple  but  pressed  home  his  question. 

"All  kinds;  but  it  wasn't  at  all  like  this.  I'm  afraid 
you  will  find  me  very  stupid  at  first,  Mr.  Pittinger, 
but  if  you'll  just  have  patience  with  me  I'll  learn,  I 
know." 

"Say!"  observed  Mr.  Pittinger  in  utmost  sincerity, 
"you  could  be  stupid,  Miss,  and  it  wouldn't  make  a  mite 
o'  difference!" 

Realizing  that  cryptic  as  his  speech  was  he  had  paid 
a  bald  compliment  to  this  amazing  young  woman  Jud 
colored  to  the  roots  of  his  hair  and  covered  his  em- 
barrassment by  plunging  into  business  at  hand. 

Jane  listened  to  his  directions,  following  him  docilely 
about  the  store  and  apparently  examining  the  stock  with 
the  greatest  interest,  but  in  reality  her  thoughts  were 
still  busied  with  that  encounter  of  a  half-hour  before. 
That  Barney  Hoyt,  the  young  engineer  on  whom  Andrew 


88  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

Geddes  had  staked  everything,  should  prove  to  have 
been  the  same  man  upon  whom  she  had,  in  a  moment 
of  resentment,  bestowed  the  most  opprobrious  epithet 
which  came  to  her  mind,  was  a  coincidence  which  in 
her  wildest  dreams  she  could  not  have  imagined.  Her 
cheeks  burned  at  the  memory  of  it,  and  it  seemed  to 
her  that  she  could  hear  again  the  good-humored  un- 
ruffled tones  in  which  he  had  assured  her  that  he  was 
just  a  workingman. 

Had  he  recognized  her?  Nothing  in  his  manner,  or 
smile,  or  the  simple  words  with  which  he  had  greeted 
her  showed  that  he  had,  yet  she  felt  that  in  any  event 
his  bearing  under  the  circumstances  would  have  been 
the  same.  She  must  find  out.  She  must  know! 

"That's  about  all,"  Jud's  voice  broke  in  upon  her  medi- 
tations. "Only  we've  got  to  make  room  some'eres  here 
for  a  lot  of  fool  stuff  that  the  Big  Boss  is  sending  in; 
neckties  and  silk  handkerchiefs  and  good  cigars  and  such. 
Never  heard  nothing  to  beat  it  in  my  life." 

Jane  suppressed  a  smile. 

"Why,  don't  the  men  want  some  finery  and  a  better 
grade  of  tobacco  and  things  now  and  then?"  she  asked. 

"  'Tain't  what  they  want,  it's  what  they  can  get  up 
here,"  Jud  responded.  "There's  never  been  any  kick 
from  them  unless  the  stock  ran  out.  You  don't  know 
anything  about  prices,  do  you?" 

"Not  on — on  men's  things."  Jane  was  busied  with  a 
box  of  cheap  razors  and  she  did  not  look  up.  "They 
make  good  money,  don't  they?  They  could  afford  to 
pay  for  almost  anything  they  wanted?" 

"They  can  afford  to  pay  the  prices  we're  asking,  that's 


AN   ENEMY   AND   A   FRIEND  89 

sure."  Jud  broke  off  and  grumbling  half  inaudibly  he 
moved  to  the  back  of  the  store. 

Jane  wondered  how  much  of  her  little  scheme  had 
been  guessed  by  the  rotund,  easy-going  shopkeeper. 
Evidently  it  did  not  meet  with  his  approval,  whether  he 
divined  its  real  purpose  or  not.  She  had  seen  the  letter 
which  Adam  MacLeod  had  written  to  the  superintendent, 
merely  issuing  the  new  orders  without  explanation  in 
the  name  of  the  company,  but  the  genial  clear-sighted 
Jim  Bowers  was  by  no  means  a  fool,  and  she  suspected 
that  Jud  Pittinger  himself  was  more  astute  than  appeared 
on  the  surface.  She  must  pretend  ignorance,  of  course, 
but  meanwhile,  she  could  feel  her  way. 

"Mr.  Pittinger,  this  store  is  only  run  for  the  men 
employed  by  the  company,  isn't  it?  Do  you  sell  to  the 
miners  passing  through  and  the  townspeople,  also  ?" 

"Not  if  I  know  it."  Jud  wheeled  a  heavy  barrel  across 
the  floor  and  deposited  it  with  a  resounding  thump. 
"I  have  hard  enough  work  keeping  enough  in  stock  for 
our  own  boys,  the  way  the  steamers  are  runnin'  now." 

"But  there  are  so  many  of  them !"  Jane  expostulated. 
"When  you're  away,  how  am  I  going  to  tell  if  a  man 
comes  in  for  something  whether  he  belongs  to  the  North- 
ern Star  outfit  or  not?  Have  they  cards  or  anything?" 

"They  have,  but  I've  got  so  that  I  know  them  all." 
Mr.  Pittinger  seemed  to  remember  something,  and  con- 
tinued hurriedly:  "Don't  you  worry  your  head  about 
that,  Miss.  It's  a  long  time  since  any  outsider  tried  to  put 
it  over  on  me.  If  anybody  comes  in,  they've  got  a  right 
to  buy  here." 

Mr.  Pittinger  had  evidently  received  his  instructions, 
and  meant  to  obey  them  despite  his  personal  disapproval. 


90  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

Would  the  scheme  work?  Would  it  serve  to  win  the 
confidence  of  any  of  the  rival  outfit  and  wean  them 
from  their  allegiance  to  the  Unatika  Company? 

Unaccountably  her  thoughts  drifted  back  to  the  man 
who  had  tried  to  engage  Peddar  in  conversation  at  the 
restaurant  the  night  before,  and  on  an  impulse  she  turned 
again  to  her  superior. 

"Mr.  Pittinger,  you  say  that  you  know  all  the  men 
in  the  Northern  Star  outfit?" 

"By  sight,  anyway."  His  voice  came  to  her  muffled 
from  behind  a  huge  crate. 

"Is  there  one  among  them  very  tall  and  dark  with 
bluish  looking  bristles  on  his  chin,  and  queer,  light  eyes  ? 
He  speaks  like  an  American  —  a  Westerner,  and  he  has 
a  way  of  staring  -  " 


Jud's  face  popped  up  suddenly  from  behind  the 
and  his  sleepy  eyes  flashed. 

"I  know  him  all  right,  but  he  don't  belong  to  our 
outfit.  He's  Hugh  Malison,  general  superintendent  for 
the  Unatika  people,  and  if  I  was  you,  Miss,  I  —  ahem  — 
I  wouldn't  hold  no  truck  with  him.  He  ain't  just  fit  for 
a  lady  to  speak  to.  Excuse  me  for  not  minding  my  own 
business  -  " 

"But  I  want  you  to  advise  me,  Mr.  Pittinger."  Jane 
smiled  upon  him.  "You  see,  we  don't  know  anything 
about  anybody  up  here,  my  father  and  I.  He  tried  to 
talk  to  us  in  the  restaurant  last  night,  but  I  —  somehow 
I  didn't  like  him." 

"They're  no  good,  any  of  them  ;  that  Unatika  crowd." 
Jud  waved  a  pudgy  hand  expansively.  "There's  bad 
blood  between  them  and  us,  Miss,  as  you  would  be 
finding  out  soon  enough." 


AN   ENEMY   AND   A   FRIEND  91 

"Oh!"  Jane  caught  her  breath  effectively. 

"I  don't  want  to  scare  you  none,  Miss,  but — you  see 
that  gat  under  the  counter?" 

Jane  looked  where  the  fat  finger  pointed  and  shrank 
back. 

"A  pistol !" 

"Reg'lar  gun."  Jud  spoke  with  evident  pride.  "I'm 
heeled;  that's  only  for  emergencies.  Now,  if  I  shouldn't 
be  here  and  anybody  conies  in  and  tries  to  start  some- 
thing with  you,  just  you  reach  under  and  bring  that  up 
level  with  the  counter  as  if  you  mean  business,  and 
you'll  see  'em  fade  away.  Ain't  afraid  of  it,  are  you?" 

"N — no."  As  if  to  reassure  herself  Jane  took  up  the 
ugly  looking  weapon  gingerly  and  Jud  promptly  effaced 
himself  behind  the  crate. 

"It's  all  right,  you  needn't  bother  about  it  now,"  he 
assured  her  hurriedly.  "You'll  never  have  to  fire  it, 
anyway.  Just  let  'em  think  you're  going  to  blow  'em 
to — to  kingdom  come.  Did  you  put  it  back?" 

Jane  replaced  the  revolver  and  the  storekeeper  rose. 

"  Tain't  safe  to  get  f  oolin'  'round  with  it ;  it  might 
go  off,"  he  warned.  "Here  comes  the  new  stock  now." 

In  single  file  a  row  of  Chinese  coolies  were  crossing 
Main  Street,  each  bent  almost  double  beneath  a  heavily 
weighted  crate  or  box  or  barrel. 

Jane  viewed  them  with  satisfaction.  Here  was  the 
concrete  result  of  the  long  mornings  during  her  stay 
with  Persis  Cheever  when  she  had  ventured  alone  into 
strange,  foreign  quarters  of  the  city  which  she  had  not 
known  existed  before.  There  she  had  found  the 
peculiar  scented  hair  oil  dear  to  all  masculine  Italian 
hearts;  tins  of  salty  Russian  food;  lichee  nuts  and 


92  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

bamboo  shoots  for  the  Chinese,  and  the  weird-looking 
instruments  which  alone  can  bring  out  the  true  spirit 
of  the  Czardas. 

Jud  Pittinger  had  decried  the  better  grade  of  Ameri- 
can goods;  what  would  he  think  of  these  importations? 
When  the  coolies  had  departed  Jane  watched  him  going 
from  crate  to  box,  from  box  to  barrel  with  bewilder- 
ment written  large  upon  his  countenance  and  waited 
for  his  comment,  but  none  came. 

Instead  he  knocked  the  top  off  a  crate  of  cigars, 
placed  a  box  or  two  prominently  on  the  counter  and 
then  struggled  into  his  rubber  coat. 

"I  got  to  go  see  the  Big  Boss  a  minute,"  he  an- 
nounced. "The  price  of  them  cigars  is  a  nickel  apiece, 
six  for  two  bits,  and  no  more'n  six  to  a  man.  One 
or  two  of  the  boys  from  the  night  shift  may  come 
ramblin'  in  for  a  smoke  but  there  '11  be  no  rush  until 
the  three  o'clock  whistle.  Think  you  can  keep  store  for 
awhile?" 

"Yes, — sir."  Jane  added  the  last  word  as  an  after- 
thought, and  Jud  reddened.  "I  have  the  price  list  here 
if  they  want  anything  else,  and  I  can  find  whatever 
it  is." 

When  he  departed  into  the  warm  rain  Jane  emerged 
from  behind  the  counter  and  made  a  round  of  inspection 
on  her  own  account,  bringing  up  at  the  cases  of  new 
stock  at  the  rear.  Mr.  MacLeod  had  executed  her  order 
faithfully;  every  item  that  she  had  chosen  was  before 
her  and  she  longed  not  to  sell  but  to  give  of  this  bounty 
to  the  men  who  had  come  so  far  from  civilization  to 
work  for  what  seemed  to  her  to  be  so  pitifully  small 


AN   ENEMY   AND   A    FRIEND  93 

a  wage  that  she  and  her  brother  might  retain  possession 
of  the  Northern  Star. 

That  they  might  have  resented  such  charity  did  not 
enter  her  head.  Sympathy  had  been  born  within  her 
but  not  understanding,  and  her  mental  attitude  was  still 
that  of  Janetta  Gildersleeve.  The  role  that  she  was 
playing  pleased  her  by  its  sheer  novelty  despite  the  lone- 
liness which  tugged  at  her  heart,  but  it  was  only  a  role; 
she  was  not  yet  awakened  to  the  forces  allied  here 
against  all  her  former  theories  of  life,  blissfully  un- 
conscious of  the  fire  through  which  she  must  pass  before 
she  could  enter  wholly  into  the  spirit  about  her. 

As  she  turned  back  to  the  counter  she  saw  a  man 
striding  rapidly  along  the  plank  walk  pause,  then  sud- 
denly wheel  and  enter.  He  was  huddled  in  his  coat  with 
up-turned  collar  and  down-drawn  hat,  and  not  until  he 
swept  off  the  latter  in  a  slightly  ironic  bow  did  she  see 
his  face.  He  was  the  man  of  the  restaurant,  Hugh 
Malison,  the  superintendent  of  the  Unatika ! 

"Good-morning,  Miss."  He  spoke  civilly  enough,  and 
Jane  fancied  there  was  a  subtle  change  from  the  night 
before,  not  only  in  his  manner  but  in  his  mode  of 
speech.  "So  this  is  what  your  father  meant  when  he 
said  you  had  come  here  to  work !" 

"My  father?"  Jane  asked  the  question  with  her  eye- 
brows. 

"In  the  Elite  last  night;  you  haven't  forgotten,"  he 
replied  with  easy  confidence,  resting  one  elbow  on  the 
counter  so  that  his  pale,  oddly  bright  eyes  .were  on  a 
level  with  her  own.  "I've  been  scouting  around  for  you 
all  the  morning  but  I  didn't  think  I  would  find  you 
here." 


94  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

"Why  not?"  Jane  tossed  her  head  and  drew  slightly 
away  from  him. 

"Well,  it's  pretty  far  for  a  little  girl  to  come  just 
to  tend  store."  There  was  an  underlying  significance 
in  his  laugh  which  repelled  her  still  more.  "You're 
something  of  an  innovation,  you  know." 

"There  have  to  be  pioneers  everywhere."  She  tried 
to  speak  lightly,  but  the  words  seemed  to  stick  in  her 
throat.  "Did  you  want  to  buy  anything?" 

"Perhaps."  He  glanced  down  the  counter  and  a  box 
of  the  freshly  opened  cigars  met  his  eye.  "Hello, 
Reina  Dolores/  eh?  Say,  we're  getting  some  class  up 
here." 

"Nickel  apiece,  six  for  two  bits,"  Jane  announced 
promptly,  wondering  at  the  same  time  what  mysterious 
coin  the  latter  might  be. 

Malison  whistled. 

"That's  what  old  Pittinger  told  you,  is  it?"  His 
shoulders  shook  with  amusement.  "I'll  take  a  dollar's 
worth." 

"No  you  won't;  only  six  at  a  time,"  she  retorted. 
"Are  you  one  of  the  Northern  Star  outfit?  I'm  not 
supposed  to  sell  to  anyone  else." 

A  swift  keen  glance  shot  from  the  man's  pale  eyes, 
but  her  face  was  blandly  inquiring,  and  he  shrugged. 

"Sure.  I'm  one  of  the  outfit  that  is  going  to  put  the 
single-track  road  through." 

If  the  girl  sensed  the  ambiguity  of  his  answer  she 
gave  no  sign  but  calmly  took  possession  of  the  quarter 
he  spun  upon  the  counter. 

"Only  six!"  she  cautioned  as  he  helped  himself  from 
the  box.  Then  upon  a  swift  impulse  she  leaned  slightly 


AN   ENEMY   AND   A   FRIEND  95 

toward  him.  "How  long  do  you  think  the  job  will  last 
up  here — the  road  building,  I  mean?" 

Again  that  searching  glance  swept  her  face. 

"Ask  the  Chief;  he  can  tell  you  better  than  I  can. 
You  mean  to  stay  till  it's  done?" 

"That  depends."  Jane  drew  a  deep  breath  and 
plunged :  "I  hear  there  have  been  so  many  accidents, 
and  nobody  seems  to  understand.  It  is  almost  as  if 
there  were  a  jinx  on  the  work,  isn't  it?" 

"Maybe  there  is !"  Malison  leered  and  then  leaned  sud- 
denly over  the  counter  bringing  his  face  close  to  hers. 
"Say,  little  lady,  don't  something  else  go  with  these 
cigars  ?" 

"Coupons?"  Jane  parried,  retreating  a  step  or  two 
until  unseen  her  hand  could  reach  to  the  narrow  shelf 
below. 

"No.  A  kiss!"  The  man  spoke  in  a  low  coarse  tone 
and  he  followed  her  swiftly  with  the  counter  between. 
"Come  now,  will  you  give  it  to  me  or  shall  I  take  it?" 

Jane  regarded  him  critically  although  she  could  feel 
her  whole  body  trembling  with  the  indignation  and  fear 
which  consumed  her. 

"I  wouldn't  if  I  were  you,"  she  said  coolly.  "You 
see  I  have  a — a  'gat'  I  think  they  call  it,  right  here  in 
my  hand,  and  as  I'm  not  very  well  acquainted  with  fire- 
arms it  might  go  off.  I  should  hate  to  think  of  another 
accident  happening  to  any  of  the  Northern  Star  outfit." 

For  a  moment  she  thought  that  the  man  would  seize 
her,  but  she  held  him  steadily  with  her  eyes  and  some- 
thing in  them  must  have  warned  him  that  she  was  in 
earnest.  The  quick  menace  which  had  leaped  into  his 


96  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

face  burned  itself  out  slowly,  and  he  drew  back  with 
a  sneering  laugh. 

"Wild  West  stuff,  eh?-"  he  drawled.  "Don't  get  your- 
self all  excited,  little  lady,  I  can  wait.  But  I'll  have 
that  kiss  yet!" 

And  he  yanked  up  his  coat  collar  and  jerked  down 
the  brim  of  the  rubber  hat,  it  seemed  to  Jane's  horror 
that  the  silent  laughter,  which  shook  him  must  be  echo- 
ing through  the  store.  He  turned  without  another  word 
and  slouched  out  of  the  door  almost  colliding  with  the 
bandaged  arm  of  a  tall  lanky  individual  who  edged  in 
with  unaccustomed  shyness,  his  leathery  face  dyed  a 
rich  mahogany.  He  glanced  absently  after  the  man  who 
had  just  left  and  then  his  eyes  returned  to  the  girl  as 
if  fascinated. 

Jane  was  still  flushed  with  ire  at  the  late  encounter, 
but  at  sight  of  the  newcomer's  obvious  embarrassment 
she  managed  an  encouraging  smile. 

"Good-morning,"  she  said.  "D — did  you  want  to  buy 
something?  I'm  the  new  assistant  storekeeper." 

The  new  arrival  gulped. 

"No'm — Yes'm."  He  corrected  himself  and  swore 
softly  beneath  his  breath.  That  smile  had  been  his  un- 
doing. "Pretty  day,  ain't  it?" 

"Pretty  wet  one!"  Jane  laughed.  "What  do  you  call 
bad  weather  up  here  in  Katalak?" 

"October  till  April."  Harve  found  his  voice  with  the 
familiar  topic.  "Nothin*  but  snow  and  da — dampness, 
all  the  time.  You'll  see  some  sunshine  if  you  stay  long 
enough,  ma'am." 

He  had  pulled  off  his  hat  and  stood  turning  it  while 


AN   ENEMY   AND   A   FRIEND  97 

the  rain  dripped  from  it  between  his  fingers  and  the 
conversation  lagged. 

"I — I  expect  to  stay  until  the  road  goes  through,"  Jane 
observed  at  last.  "Are  you  one  of  the " 

She  paused  and  her  prospective  customer  announced 
hastily : 

"I'm  Harve  Dugdale,  superintendent  of  dock  con- 
struction, ma'am."  Then  his  eyes  lighted  upon  the 
opened  box  of  cigars  and  slowly  bulged. 

Jane's  glance  followed  his. 

"This  is  some  of  the  new  stock  Mr.  Pittinger  just 
got  in ;  it  came  on  the  same  steamer  with  my  father  and 
me."  She  pushed  the  box  toward  him.  "Try  one,  Mr. 
Dugdale — five  cents." 

Being  wholly  unable  to  express  his  amazement  in 
language  fit  for  this  new  storekeeper's  ears,  Harve 
mutely  took  one  of  the  cigars,  smelled  it  half  incredu- 
lously, then  shaking  his  head  replaced  it. 

"No,  ma'am.  I — I  don't  like  to  counterdict  a  lady, 
but  I'd  be  cheatin'  you." 

"Oh,  I  know  that's  a  little  below  what  they  sell  for 
at  home,  but  I'm  sure  of  my  orders."  Jane  dimpled. 
"Maybe  the  Northern  Star  people  want  to — to  take  off 
some  of  the  price  for  the  men  who  are  putting  through 
the  road  for  them." 

Harve  stared. 

"I  reckon  you  don't  know  much  about  mining  com- 
panies, ma'am,"  he  remarked.  "Has  Jud  got  any  more 
new  stock  in?" 

Not  untruthfully  had  Persis  Cheever  said,  on  that  day 
which  seemed  a  thousand  years  ago,  that  Janey  could 
sell  anything  to  anybody.  When  Harve  Dugdale  turned 


98  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

at  last  reluctantly  to  the  door  his  pockets  were  emptied 
of  everything  save  his  penknife,  his  gat  and  a  lonely 
fragment  of  plug,  but  his  arms  were  piled  high  with 
strange  and  gaudy  garments,  boxes  of  candy  and  dried 
fruit,  highly  scented  soap  and  an  astonishing  new  razor 
in  a  leather  case. 

One  resolve  had  emerged  from  the  chaos  of  his  mind : 
if  Jud  had  slyly  laid  in  all  this regalia  in  an- 
ticipation of  the  lady's  appearance  on  the  scene,  then 
he,  Harve,  meant  to  be  the  first  and  best  dressed  man 
in  Katalak. 

At  the  door,  while  he  was  struggling  to  replace  his 
hat  with  his  lame  arm,  Jane  overtook  him  and  mo- 
mentarily relieved  him  of  his  burdens. 

"How  did  you  get  hurt?"  she  asked  shyly. 

"Just  a  little  accident,  ma'am."     Harve  reddened. 

"One  of  the  kind  I've  been  hearing  about — on  the 
steamer  coming  up  here,  I  mean?"  Jane  added  hur- 
riedly. "People  were  talking  about  some  funny  accidents 
that  have  been  happening  ever  since  the  road  was 
started." 

"Yes'm."  Harve  paused  and  then  said  with  a  touch 
of  sudden  roughness  in  his  tone.  "Excuse  me,  but  there 
ain't  anybody  up  here  like  you,  and  your  father  is  kind 
of  an  old  man.  If — if  anybody  says  anything  to  you 
or — or  just  looks,  you  let  me  know.  I'm  pretty  generally 
on  the  job." 

"Thank  you !"  There  was  a  little  catch  in  Jane's  voice, 
and  as  he  departed  she  watched  his  lanky  figure  dis- 
appear in  the  rain  with  a  new  warmth  about  her  heart. 
She  had  made  a  possible  enemy  of  the  man  with  the 


AN   ENEMY   AND   A   FRIEND  99 

queer,  light  eyes,  but  she  felt  that  at  least  she  had  made 
one  friend  in  this  hulking,  kindly  fellow  and  the  first 
tentative  move  in  the  task  she  had  set  for  herself  was 
accomplished. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
JANE  ROLLS  UP  HER  SLEEVES 

"  'TpHERE    ain't    a    mite    of    use    talkin'    to    me, 

dearie,"  Ma  Heaney  observed  as  she  seated 

herself   heavily   on  Jane's  groaning  bed.     "I 

knew   from  the  minute   I   laid  eyes   on  you  that  you 

wasn't  fit  for  this  kind  of  life,  and  woman  to  woman, 

I  think  your  pa  was  an  old  fool  to  bring  you  up  here." 

"But  Mrs.  Heaney,  I  like  the  store,  and  Mr.  Pittinger 
is  so  nice!"  Jane  protested,  looking  up  from  the  bag 
which  she  was  unpacking  before  the  other's  frankly  curi- 
ous gaze. 

Ma  Heaney  shook  her  head. 

"They  ain't  all  like  Jud,"  she  responded.  "The  Una- 
tika  outfit's  the  worst  but  the  Northern  Star  ain't 
exactly  a  celestial  choir,  and  as  for  the  miners  and 

hands  from  the  cannery I  come  from  a  big  city 

myself — Chicago — and  I've  traveled  some  since,  but  this 
town'll  have  'em  all  backed  off  the  map  for  trouble 
when  the  real  ruction  starts." 

"What — er,  reduction?"  asked  Jane. 

"When  them  two  outfits  comes  to  grips,"  the  other 
explained.  "I  was  thinkin'  some  of  sellin1  out  myself 
and  mushin'  down  to  Seattle,  but  I  ain't  never  been  run 
out  of  any  town  yet,  and  I  don't  propose  to  vamoose 
now  just  because  there's  liable  to  be  a  battle.  It's  no 
place  for  a  little  soft  thing  like  you,  though.  Now,  if 

too 


JANE  ROLLS  UP  HER  SLEEVES          101 

you  was  to  go  down  to  Tacoma,  and  get  in  a  nice,  pretty 
millinery  store,  or  open  an  ice  cream  parlor " 

Jane  laughed. 

"I'm  not  going  to  run  away,  either!"  she  declared. 
"But  do  you  really  think  it  will  come  to  an  open  fight, 
Mrs.  Heaney?" 

"It's  fixin'/'  predicted  her  landlady.  "There's  been 
no  gunplay  yet  but  when  the  work  starts  on  the  road 
next  week  the  Unatika  people'll  likely  come  out  in  the 
open.  My!"  she  broke  off  to  exclaim,  "those  are  sure 
pretty  things !  But  what  in  time  you  brought  'em  up 
here  to  work  in  for " 

Jane  looked  in  some  dismay  at  the  plain  but  fine 
lingeries  which  billowed  out  of  the  bag.- 

"It's  all  very  simple,"  she  protested. 

"So  are  them  toilet  things,  but  not  for  Katalak,"  re- 
torted Ma  Heaney.  "Them  dresses,  too,  that  I  took 
out  of  your  trunk  this  morning  to  keep  from  gettin' 
rumpled — if  I  was  you,  and  you're  lookin'  to  make  some 
real  money,  I'd  sell  'em  to  the  girls.  You'll  get  three 
times  what  you  paid  for  'em " 

"What  girls?"  interrupted  Jane. 

Ma  Heaney's  voluminous  bulk  twisted  somewhat  un- 
comfortably and  her  face  reddened. 

"Well,  them  that  do  what  you'd  call  kind  of  a  vaude- 
ville act  at  the  dance  halls.  I  could  sell  'em  for  you. 
There's  Etta  and  May  and  Pearl " 

"Is  one  of  them  young  and  thin  and  tired-looking, 
with  rather  pretty  eyes?"  queried  Jane  suddenly.  "I 
saw  her  at  the  restaurant  last  night." 

Ma  Heaney  nodded. 

"That's  Etta  Carney.    She's  stuck  on  Hugh  Malison 


"'102  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

and  he  used  to  meet  her  in  there  reg'lar,  but  he's  kinder 
givin'  her  the  cold  shoulder  now.  He's  got  the  same 
job  with  the  Unatika  outfit  that  big  Jim  Bowers  has 
with  the  Northern  Star  and  I  suspicion  that  he  knows 
something  one  way  or  another,  about  them  'accidents' 
that  have  been  happenin'.  But  here  I  sit  gossipin'  when. 
I  got  a  hull  floor  to  clean !"  She  rose  and  waddled  re- 
luctantly to  the  door.  "You  let  me  know,  dearie,  if  you 
decide  to  sell  any  of  your  things  and  I'll  fix  it  for  you." 

Left  alone,  Jane  sat  still  on  the  floor  in  the  midst  of 
her  belongings,  thinking  over  what  she  had  learned.  So 
that  frail,  weary-eyed  girl  was  in  love  with  Malison — 
Malison,  that  beast  who  had  insulted  her  in  the  store 
that  morning.  Jane  shuddered  anew  at  the  memory  of 
the  encounter. 

And  he  was  the  general  superintendent  of  the  Una- 
tika, the  man  who,  in  Ma  Heaney's  estimation  at  least, 
knew  something  of  the  "accidents"  which  had  delayed 
the  building  of  the  road !  Jane  shrewdly  suspected  from 
the  very  way  in  which  the  buxom  landlady  had  checked 
herself  in  the  flood  tide  of  her  garrulity  that  she  knew 
far  more  herself  than  she  was  willing  to  gossip  about 
of  the  machinations  of  the  rival  company,  yet  why  she, 
a  townswoman  and  unconnected  with  either  outfit,  should 
take  sides  with  the  Northern  Star  remained  to  be  dis- 
covered. 

Of  her  sincerity  the  girl  had  no  doubt;  honesty  shone 
from  her  broad,  good-natured  countenance.  But  how 
far  she  might  be  depended  upon  in  a  crisis,  or  to  keep 

a  confidence Jane  shook  her  head.  She  must  trust 

no  one. 

Ma  Heaney's  sharp  eyes  had  already  discerned  in  spite 


JANE  ROLLS  UP  HER  SLEEVES         103 

of  her  dissimulation  that  she  was  not  quite  the  type  of 
girl  she  pretended  to  be,  and  her  curiosity  if  not  her 
suspicion  was  aroused.  Jane  was  none  too  confident 
that  Peddar  would  not  unconsciously  betray  them  both 
if  he  were  artfully  cross-examined,  and  she  determined 
to  keep  him  as  much  under  her  eye  as  possible  until 
they  had  established  themselves  in  a  domicile  of  their 
own. 

She  heard  his  voice  in  the  office  as  she  descended  the 
stairs,  and  the  tones  in  which  the  response  came  made 
her  pause.  Surely  that  must  be  the  engineer,  Barney 
Hoyt.  Had  he  recognized  her  ?  Was  he  trying  to  pump 
old  Peddar?  She  stole  softly  down. 

"No,  sir."  Peddar's  tone  had  slipped  dangerously 
back  into  the  subservient  inflection  of  lifelong  habit. 
"We  are  not  from  New  York,  sir.  I  believe  a  Mr. 
MacLeod  engaged  my  daughter  to  come  up  here.  She 
can  tell  you  about  that.  Did  you  say  up  three  streets 
and  to  the  right  past  the — er,  Happy  Days  cafe,  sir?" 

"Yes,  but  don't  let  any  of  the  boys  hear  you  mention 
a  'cafe'  in  Katalak,  or  you'll  be  mobbed."  That  laugh- 
ing voice  was  unmistakably  Barney  Hoyt's,  and  Jane 
realized  with  exasperation  that  he  must  have  taken  Ped- 
dar's measure;  he  did  not  "Mr."  him.  Must  she  be 
servile,  too,  in  order  that  he  should  not  discover  the 
difference  in  station  between  herself  and  her  pseudo 
father?  She  tossed  her  head  rebelliously  at  the  very 
thought.  This  "workingman"  should  be  put  in  his  place ! 
But  she — she  was  a  "working  girl"  herself  now!  Why 
couldn't  she  remember? 

"Very  good,  sir."  Jane  could  have  slapped  Peddar 
at  that  moment!  "I  shall  try  to  remember,  but  it  is  all 


104  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

very  different  up  here  from  what  I  expected,  sir.  I'll 
go  and  have  a  look  at  the  cottage  you  speak  of." 

As  Peddar  crossed  the  hall  and  vanished  down  the 
rickety  steps  Jane  descended  and  entered  the  office  with 
her  chin  in  the  air. 

"Good-afternoon,"  Barney  Hoyt  smiled  with  frank 
pleasure.  "Think  you  will  like  your  job  at  the  store, 
Miss  Peddar?" 

Was  there  an  ironic  emphasis  on  the  last  two  words? 
Jane  flushed  hotly. 

"I  guess  so,"  she  responded  cautiously  checking  the 
imperious  rejoinder  that  rose  to  her  lips.  She  must  not 
give  herself  away  to  him,  of  all  men.  "There  isn't  much 
difference  in  selling  goods  over  one  counter  or  another." 

"You  have  worked  in  a  store  before,  then  ?"  He  eyed 
her  keenly. 

"If  you  want  my  references,  Mr.  Hoyt,  you  can  get 
them  from  Mr.  MacLeod  in  New  York!"  The  retort 
was  irrepressible.  "I  should  have  brought  them  had  I 
thought  they  would  be  required  here." 

Hoyt's  face  grew  grave,  but  there  seemed  to  be  an 
underlying  twinkle  in  his  brown  eyes. 

"I  did  not  mean  to  be  curious,"  he  assured  her  coolly. 
"I  know  that  it  isn't  quite  the  thing  up  here  in  Alaska 
to  ask  personal  questions,  but  since  I  am  in  charge  of 
the  outfit,  I  did  not  think  it  amiss.  And  the  outfit  in- 
cludes the  company  store,  Miss  Peddar." 

"Over  Mr.  Pittinger?"  she  demanded. 

He  nodded. 

"And  Jim  Bowers,"  he  supplemented.  "You  are  just 
as  much  a  part  of  the  outfit  now  as  one  of  the  track 
layers  or  bull  gang.  But  I  came  to  ask  you  if  you 


JANE  ROLLS  UP  HER  SLEEVES          105 

would  not  like  to  let  me  show  you  where  we  start  the 
road  work  next  week.  We're  bringing  it  around  just 
back  of  the  bunk  houses  parallel  with  Main  Street  and 
it's  only  a  step  or  two." 

A  curt  refusal  was  upon  her  tongue  but  again  Jane 
controlled  herself.  She  must  not  let  this  chance  to  learn 
a  little  about  the  work  slip  by. 

"I'll  be  glad  to  go  if  you  will  wait  while  I  get  my 
hat  and  cloak,"  she  said  quietly.  "I  must  be  back  at  the 
store  for  the  three  o'clock  shift." 

She  inwardly  raged  at  herself  as  she  sped  upstairs. 
How  stupid  of  her  to  have  allowed  this  odious  young 
man  to  put  her  again  in  the  wrong!  If  she  had  only 
known  the  identity  of  the  chief  engineer  and  that  he 
would  have  discretionary  powers  over  even  the  store, 
she  would  not  have  come  one  step  of  the  way  to  Katalak, 
not  even  if  the  hateful  Unatika  Company  gobbled  up  the 
Northern  Star! 

That  he,  of  all  people,  should  be  in  authority  over 
her!  The  idea  was  maddening,  but  with  a  quick  re- 
vulsion of  feeling  she  giggled :  why,  if  he  only  knew 
it,  the  tables  were  turned!  It  was  she  who  was  in 
absolute  command  now  that  Ollie  was  in  France;  she, 
the  half-owner  of  the  Northern  Star  mine!  She  could 
even  order  his  dismissal  if  he  became  i.oo  impossible! 

Then  a  steadying  thought  brought  a  quick  flush  of 
self-rebuke  to  her  cheeks.  If  Peddar  was  drifting  back 
into  the  personality  of  other  days  was  she  not  also  in 
danger  of  letting  the  old  Janetta  dominate  over  the 
character  she  had  assumed,  and  which  she  must  retain 
until  the  end  if  she  were  to  play  the  game  ?  Could  petty 
personal  spite  toward  a  man  who  meant  nothing  to  her, 


106  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

a  mere  employee,  be  allowed  to  mitigate  against  the 
success  of  the  work  which  meant  not  only  her  own 
future  but  Ollie's?  What  a  selfish,  arrogant  little  beast 
she  was ! 

Of  course,  this  man  Hoyt  was  right  from  his  point 
of  view;  in  justice  she  had  to  admit  that  to  herself,  and 
she  ought  to  be  glad  that  he  was  so  conscientious.  As 
chief  of  the  works  he  had  to  assure  himself  that  every 
employee  was  not  only  competent  but  quite  what  they 
should  be,  especially  in  view  of  the  underhand  work  with 
which  he  had  to  contend.  She  herself  might  have  been 
a  spy  and  confederate  of  the  Unatika  outfit,  for  all  he 
knew! 

In  a  considerably  more  chastened  frame  of  mind  Jane 
descended  once  more,  and  it  was  with  a  decidedly  meek 
tone  that  she  observed: 

"I  understood  from  Mr.  MacLeod  that  the  work  had 
already  started  on  the  railroad.  Of  course,  I  don't  know 
anything  about  it." 

"The  preliminary  survey  had  been  made  and  the  road 
staked  out  before  I  came,"  Barney  Hoyt  responded.  "I 
don't  think  you'll  need  that  rubber  coat,  for  the  rain 
has  stopped." 

Jane  laid  the  garment  obdiently  over  a  chair  in  the 
office  and  thrust  her  hands  in  her  sweater  pockets  as  she 
followed  her  guide  to  the  door.  The  rain  had  indeed 
ceased  and  a  thin,  pale  sunlight  was  streaking  down  from 
a  rift  in  the  clouds,  glistening  on  the  sea  of  mud  and 
tinting  the  pool's  which  filled  the  ruts  in  the  street  with 
a  faint  opalescent  color. 

"You  see,  we've  assembled  all  our  equipment,  chopped 
down  spruce  for  our  ties  and  cut  them  up  in  the  saw- 


JANE  ROLLS  UP  HER  SLEEVES          107 

mill,"  the  engineer  continued  as  they  set  forth.  "Now 
we've  got  to  start  grading  the  first  five  miles  of  road- 
bed— but  this  must  be  all  Greek  to  you !" 

"What  happened  to  Mr.  Dugdale's  arm?"  Jane  asked 
irrelevantly.  "He  would  only  tell  me  that  it  was  an 
accident,  but  I  have  already  heard  about  the  accidents 
that  have  been  happening  up  here  all  the  time  since  the 
work  Started,  and  about  that  other  company  who  want 
to  put  a  road  through,  too.  Do  you  anticipate  any 
trouble,  Mr.  Hoyt?" 

He  darted  a  swift  sidelong  glance  at  her,  but  her 
face  expressed  only  nai've  inquiry  and  he  shrugged. 

"I  expect  almost  anything  on  a  job  of  this  kind,  but 
we'll  be  ready  to  protect  our  own  interests  if  the  other 
side  start  trouble,  and  we  are  going  to  push  the  road 
through,  all  right."  There  was  no  hint  of  bragging  in 
his  tone,  but  a  quiet  firmness  which  sent  a  little  thrill 
through  Jane  in  spite  of  her  late  resentment.  "Don't 
let  anyone  frighten  you,  Miss  Peddar.  I  don't  think 
they'll  attempt  any  open  rough  stuff,  and  if  they  should 
you  will  not  be  in  it." 

"If  I  had  been  afraid  I  wouldn't  have  come  up  here," 
Miss  Peddar  asserted  stoutly.  "They  have  only  done 
just  sneaking,  underhand  things  so  far,  haven't  they?" 

"We  don't  actually  know  who  is  at  the  bottom  of  the 
mischief  yet."  He  spoke  with  a  note  of  reserve.  "We'll 
turn  down  this  lane  here.  You'll  find  it  rather  muddy, 
I  expect,  but  you  will  get  used  to  that  if  you  stay." 

"I'll  stay  if  I  can  do  the  work  at  the  store  all  right," 
Jane  retorted.  "I'm  not  a  fine  society  lady,  you  know, 
to  be  afraid  of  mud  and  roughing  it  and — and  soiling  my 
hands.  I'm  a  working  girl." 


io8  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

She  added  the  last  slyly  and  averted  her  face  that  he 
might  not  read  the  lurking  mischief  in  her  eyes.  If  he 
recognized  her  he  must  speak  now.  At  least,  he  did  not 
know  the  name  of  the  girl  he  had  encountered  on  that 
far-off  night. 

"Of  course,  but  Katalak  mud  is  different  from  that 
in  the  East,  and  you  are  not  accustomed  to  the  life  up 
here,"  he  remarked.  "You'll  find  a  lot  of  things  very 
different  but  you'll  be  fairly  comfortable  when  you  and 
your  father  get  settled." 

It  was  Jane's  turn  for  a  surreptitious  glance,  but  his 
expression  was  inscrutable. 

"Oh,  father  and  I  aren't  a  bit  alike,"  she  said  care- 
lessly. "He  thinks  he  is  adventurous  but  he  isn't,  at 
all.  He  has  been  dreaming  of  getting  to  Alaska  for  years 
and  now  that  he  is  here,  I  think  it  all  rather  frightens 
him.  Is  this  where  the  road  is  to  be?" 

They  had  passed  the  last  of  the  huddled  shacks  on 
the  side  road  which  had  ended  in  a  vast  stretch  of  mud, 
in  which  here  and  there  patches  of  moss  and  coarse, 
stunted  grass  formed  dank  oases  of  green.  Almost  at 
their  feet  were  the  stakes  left  by  the  surveyors  and  they 
marched  off,  two  and  two,  in  a  narrowing  vista  straight 
into  the  foothills  to  the  north.  Beyond  them  the  faint, 
lofty  line  of  the  St.  Elias  range  lifted  snowy  peaks 
against  the  still  lowering  sky. 

Jane  drew  a  deep  breath.  Somewhere  there  back  of 
those  foothills  lay  the  Northern  Star  mine,  the  fortune 
which  was  to  await  Ollie  on  his  return  if  only  the  man 
beside  her  were  able  to  finish  his  task.  Where  those 
stakes  led  would  lie  an  unbroken  double  line  of  gleam- 
ing rails,  and  down  them  would  come  the  ore  cars  bring- 


JANE  ROLLS  UP  HER  SLEEVES         109 

ing  the  copper  to  the  wharf,  the  first  stage  of  the  trip 
to  the  smelters  at  Tacoma. 

Could  the  miracle  be  wrought?  It  seemed  a  mere 
trackless  waste  of  desolation  about  her  now.  In  a  few 
short  months,  at  most,  could  that  magic  path  of  steel 
be  built  which  would  lead  to  the  mine? 

Jane  lifted  a  glowing  face  to  the  young  engineer's  to 
find  him  gazing  quizzically  at  her,  and  she  lowered  her 
eyes  hastily  in  unwonted  confusion. 

"It — it  seems  like  a  tremendous  job,  doesn't  it?"  she 
asked. 

"Not  here.  Of  course,  it's  only  a  little  single  track 
jitney  road  anyway,  but  back  up  there  we'll  have  to 
trestle  over  a  narrow  glacier  bed,  and  if  the  other  gang 
succeed  in  hampering  us  until  they  get  their  own  equip- 
ment assembled  there  will  be  a  real  race  for  it."  He 
turned.  "We'd  better  be  starting  back  now;  there  isn't 
much  to  look  at  yet,  but  I  thought  you  would  like  to 
see  where  the  actual  work  will  commence." 

"I'm  glad  I  did,"  Jane  replied.  "I'm  glad  to  feel  that 
I  am  a  part  of  it  all  as  you  said,  Mr.  Hoyt.  Part  of 
the  work,  I  mean.  It  must  bring-  a  real  sense  of  achieve- 
ment to  complete  a  job  of  that  sort,  even  if  you  only 
help  it  along  by  selling  things  to  the  men  who  are  do- 
ing it." 

"I  wish  you  would  tell  me  where  you  sold  things  be- 
fore," Hoyt  said  suddenly.  "The  reason  for  asking 
which  I  gave  you  back  at  Ma  Heaney's  wasn't  all  the 
truth,  Miss  Peddar.  You  remind  me  of  someone  I  saw 
in  the  East  not  so  very  long  ago,  and  yet  you  are  unlike 
her  after  all." 

"Who  was  she  ?"  Jane  asked  audaciously. 


I  io  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

Hoyt  laughed  and  shook  his  head. 

"The  last  sort  of  girl  you  would  find  roughing  it  up 
here!  But  you  don't  belong,  either,  you  know.  Store- 
keeping  for  a  mining  company  is  the  last  thing  in  the 
world  which  I  should  think  would  have  appealed  to 
you " 

"That's  just  because  father  was  able  to  give  me  a 
little  better  schooling  than  he  had  himself,  I  guess." 
Jane  laughed,  too,  but  it  sounded  hollow  in  her  own 
ears.  What  a  dismal  failure  her  attempt  at  dissimula- 
tion must  be,  when  everyone  from  Ma  Heaney  to  the 
head  of  the  outfit  could  see  through  her  like  this !  Still, 
he  had  not  actually  recognized  her;  there  was  a  grain 
of  comfort  in  that. 

They  had  turned  the  corner  of  Main  Street  once  more 
and  were  nearing  the  barracks-like  bunk  houses  and  mess, 
when  above  the  increasing  hammer  and  clanking  of  the 
pile  driver  and  crane  there  came  a  hideous  deafening 
roar,  and  somewhere  back  of  and  beyond  the  company 
store  a  flash  of  lurid  red  rose  for  an  instant  against 
the  sky  and  died  like  the  blast  of  some  huge  furnace. 

'Then  came  hoarse  shouting  and  the  heavy  thud  of 
many  rushing  feet,  but  Jane  was  scarcely  conscious  of 
it.  At  the  first  echo  of  the  explosion  Hoyt  had  dashed 
forward  and  now  she  was  following,  running  as  she 
had  never  run  in  all  her  life  before.  The  bull  gang 
from  the  storage  yard  over  the  way  and  the  dock  hands 
were  converging  in  a  crowd  before  what  seemed  to  her 
to  be  the  main  office  just  beyond  the  company  store, 
but  as  she  neared  it  she  saw  that  their  interest  was 
centered  on  the  group  of  miscellaneous  shacks  clustered 


JANE  ROLLS  UP  HER  SLEEVES          in 

behind  it,  from  the  midst  of  which  a  thin  curl  of  smoke 
was  rising. 

She  wondered  vaguely  at  she  sped  past  them  why 
the  men  waited  out  there  on  the  sidewalk,  but  she  did 
not  hear  the  warning  shouts  which  rang  out  as  she 
darted  around  the  office  shack  and  dashed  through  the 
clinging  mud  which  clutched  at  her  ankles ;  the  chief  had 
gone  that  way.  Why  did  they  not  follow? 

She  rounded  another  shack  and  halted  suddenly.  One 
of  the  smaller  ones,  a  mere  shed,  had  collapsed  utterly, 
its  rainsoaked  boards  blackened  and  smoking.  Beside  it 
a  solitary  figure  in  overalls  and  rough  flannel  shirt  lay 
stretched  upon  the  ground  and  Hoyt  was  bending 
over  it. 

Changed  as  were  the  surroundings  the  scene  brought 
back  in  a  darting  flash  of  memory  that  other  time  when 
Hoyt  had  ministered  to  the  tramp  her  heedlessness  had 
injured,  but  she  did  not  give  herself  time  to  "think  of 
that. 

Rolling  up  the  sleeves  of  her  -sweater  she  sprang  to 
his  side  and  kneeling  in  the  mud  she  lifted  in  her  arms 
the  bloody  head  of  the  unconscious  man. 

"Good  God !  What  are  you  doing  here  ?"  cried  Hoyt. 
"Go  back !  There  may  be  another  explosion " 

But  Jane  was  not  even  listening.  With  her  inadequate 
scrap  of  a  handkerchief  she  was  wiping  away  the  warm 
blood  from  the  boy's  face — for  he  was  only  a  boy,  and 
there  was  a  look  of  Ollie  about  his  sandy  hair  and  firm, 
square  chin. 

He  was  one  of  her  own,  one  of  her  companions  here 
in  the  work  they  were  all  doing  together,  and  their  com- 
mon enemy  had  done  this  to  him!  She  did  not  for  an 


ii2  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

instant  question  that  there  might  not  have  been  foul 
play,  and  a  wave  of  mingled  compassion  and  rage  shook 
her  from  head  to  foot. 

She  clenched  her  teeth  and  sobbed  through  them. 

"Those  Unatika  wretches !  G — give  me  your  hand- 
kerchief, Mr.  Hoyt!  The  poor  boy!  O — oh,  I'd  like 
to " 

She  was  lifted  bodily  to  her  feet  and  spun  about  in 
the  mud  on  them. 

"Get  out  of  this!"  Hoyt  ordered  sternly.  "Quick! 
I'll  bring  him !" 

He  picked  the  limp  figure  up  in  his  arms  and  swung 
it  over  his  shoulder  and  Jane  meekly  followed. 

She  did  not  know  why  the  men  cheered  when  they 
reached  the  sidewalk  once  more  nor  why  that  strained 
listening  look  died  so  slowly  from  the  conglomerate 
mass  of  faces  which  clustered  about  them.  The  strange, 
savage  rage  had  left  her  and  she  shivered  and  drew 
down  her  sleeves  over  her  arms  without  noting  the  stains 
with  covered  them. 

"Jumping  Jupiter!"  A  pudgy  hand  seized  her  and 
dragged  her  aside.  "What  in  Gosh-Almighty's  world 
do  you  mean  by  taking  a  chance  of  gettin'  yourself 
blown  to  Kingdom  Come  for  a  squarehead  for !"  It  was 
Jud  Pittinger's  voice  raised  in  a  wail  of  admiring  pro- 
test. "Don't  you  know  there's  dynamite  stored  all 
around  there?" 

"Will  that  poor  boy  live?"  Jane  demanded  anxiously. 

"You  come  along  back  and  wash  up  and  'tend  store !" 
Jud  urged.  "I  never  see  the  beat  of  it  in  my  life! 
Walked  right  into  livin'  death,  you  did !" 

"Well,  the  chief  did,  too,  didn't  he?"    Without  pre- 


JANE  ROLLS  UP  HER  SLEEVES         113 

meditation  the  words  leaped  from  Jane's  lips  and  she 
did  not  note  the  change  which  her  simple  query  brought 
to  the  faces  about  her,  as  man  after  man  glanced 
shamedly  at  his  neighbor  and  turned  away.  "What  have 
they  done  with  the  boy  who  was  hurt  ?" 

"The  doc  will  fix  him  up."  Jud's  good-natured  face 
was  still  stern,  but  a  look  of  confused  deference  was 
creeping  over  it.  "I  shouldn't  have  spoken  so — so  fresh 
to  you  just  now  but  you  scairt  me !  Come  in  the  store 
and  I'll  get  you  a  bucket  of  water  before  your  father 
sees  you,  Miss.  You  got  yourself  mussed  up  some." 

Jane  followed  him  down  the  lane  which  the  dividing 
crowd  made  for  her,  still  dazed  from  the  shock  of  the 
affair,  and  once  in  the  store  she  leaned  against  the 
counter  in  the  sudden  limpness  of  reaction.  It  did  not 
occur  to  her  numbed  brain  what  swift  impulse  had 
actuated  her  until  a  low  voice  at  her  side  penetrated  her 
consciousness. 

"Miss  Peddar,  I  want  to  take  back  what  I  said  to 
you  a  little  while  ago,  about  your  reminding  me  of 
someone  back  East  whom  I  had  seen."  It  was  Barney 
Hoyt  and  he  stood  before  her  with  a  new  look  in  his 
eyes.  "She  could  never  have  done  what  you  did  just 
now." 

Jane  smiled  faintly,  and  for  the  first  time  glanced 
down  at  her  reddened  hands. 

"You  were  right,  though,  when  you  said  that  every- 
thing was  different  up  here,"  she  said.  "How  do  you 
know  what  she  would  have  done  in  my  place?" 


CHAPTER  IX 
THE  MAN  IN  THE  SHADOW 

THE  roar  of  the  explosion  reached  Peddar  at  the 
farther  end  of  the  town,  but  to  his  unaccus- 
tomed ears,  deafened  by  days  and  nights  of 
continuous  noise  and  clamor  of  machinery  it  seemed 
but  a  part  of  the  general  hubbub. 

He  was  standing  in  a  tiny  front  yard  off  the  side 
street  where  already  a  few  straggling  plants  were  bud- 
ding, lost  in  a  disparaging  contemplation  of  the  little 
shack  to  which  Hoyt  had  directed  him,  when  a  man 
running  heavily  past  yelled  at  him: 

"Hey,  old-timer !  Northern  Star's  got  it  again !  Com- 
pany store's  blown  up !" 

For  one  awful  moment  Peddar's  senses  reeled  and  the 
little  shack  blurred  and  wavered  before  his  eyes.  The 
next  instant  he  had  turned  and  was  scuttling  as  fast 
as  his  trembling  old  legs  would  carry  him  back  to  the 
main  street.  He  saw  the  crowd  at  the  waterfront,  and 
the  store  building  seemed  still  to  be  standing,  but  where 
was  his  beloved  young  mistress? 

As  he  swerved  past  the  lodging  house  door  Ma 
Heaney  bounced  down  the  steps  and  seized  him  in  an 
ample  grasp. 

"She's  all  right,  Mr.  Peddar!     She's  in  here!" 

Peddar  almost  sobbed  in  his  relief  as  his  informant 
half -dragged  him  up  the  steps  and  into  the  office  where 

114 


THE  MAN  IN  THE  SHADOW  115 

Jane,  very  pale  but  quite  composed,  was  talking  with 
the  general  superintendent. 

"Oh,  miss — Jane,  I  mean — you're  safe?  You're  not 
hurt?"  he  gasped. 

"Of  course  not,  father!  I  wasn't  even  near  when  the 
accident  occurred!"  Jane  explained  hurriedly  to  cover 
that  almost  inevitable  slip.  "No  one  was  hurt  except  one 
poor  boy,  and  Mr.  Bowers  says  that  it  isn't  serious  and 
he  will  soon  be  well.  It  was  just  one  of  the  little  shacks 
back  of  the  store  that  went  up  in  smoke.  Was  it  an 
accident,  Mr.  Bowers?  I  mean,  was  that  young  work- 
man careless?" 

Jim  Bowers'  face  darkened  and  his  great  hands 
clenched. 

"It  might  have  been  his  fault  if  he  had  been  any- 
where else  but  there!"  he  muttered.  Then  his  anger 
flamed  out  unguardedly.  "That  dynamite  stick  was 
attached  to  a  wire  that  trailed  off  east  over  the  lots.  I 
traced  it  myself  just  now  for  about  fifty  feet  and  it 
led  to  a  battery  somewhere  like  a  fireblast.  I  lost  the 
wire  where  it  ran  into  the  ground,  but  it  is  bound  to 
have  been  cut  away  by  now,  and  the  battery  may  be 
half  a  mile  away.  The  murdering  scoundrels!" 

Jane's  face  went  a  shade  paler  to  hear  her  own  belief 
confirmed. 

"You  mean  it  was  the  Unatika  people  at  work  again?" 
she  asked. 

He  nodded. 

"But  they're  not  the  only  ones,"  he  affirmed.  "If 
they  touched  it  off  a  day  sooner  the  whole  works  would 
have  gone  up.  There  was  enough  dynamite  in  that  shack 
a  few  hours  ago  to  have  blown  all  Katalak  into  the 


ii6  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

bay!  Hoyt  and  I  got  a  hunch  that  it  wasn't  safe  and 
moved  it  just  in  time,  but  somebody  knew  it  had  been 
there  and  told.  We've  got  a  traitor  in  camp." 

Peddar  shook  in  his  shoes. 

"If  you've  left  it  anywhere  near  the  store  still,  Mr. 
Bowers,  miss — my  daughter  shan't  go  back  there  again, 
not  if  the " 

"Father!"  Jane  interruptedly  warningly.  "You  don't 
suppose  Mr.  Bowers  is  taking  any  chances  on  the  whole 
plant,  do  you?" 

"I'm  not  if  I  can  help  it!"  the  superintendent  de- 
clared. "But  I'm  going  to  get  them  with  the  goods  yet 
and  when  I  do  there  won't  be  much  work  left  for  the 
marshal  from  Juneau  except  to  take  me  up  for  man- 
slaughter! They're  showing  their  hand  pretty  plainly, 
and  if  I  can  once  catch  them  in  the  act  it  will  be  all 
up  with  them!  But  don't  you  worry,  Miss  Jane,  we'll 
take  care  of  you  all  right  if  you'll  just  keep  clear  of 
any  racket  you  hear  started." 

Peddar  wrung  his  hands  as  the  harassed  superin- 
tendent took  his  departure. 

"If  you'd  only  give  it  up  and  come  home "  he 

wailed. 

"Home?"  Jane's  eyes  flashed.  "Home  now,  when  I 
see  for  myself  what  those  wretches  are  trying  to  do, 
and  the  lengths  to  which  they  will  go  to  take  everything 
from  us!  I'm  ashamed  of  you!  Think  of  Ollie  away 
off  there  unable  to  do  anything  to  protect  the  work,  and 
then  you  think  I  would  run  away " 

She  broke  off  as  Ma  Heaney  bustled  into  the  room. 

"Well,  there's  no  harm  done,  thank  the  Lord!"  she 
remarked  cheerily.  "That  young  squarehead  will  be 


THE  MAN  IN  THE  SHADOW  117 

out  in  a  week  and  none  the  worse.  I  hear  you've  been 
looking  at  that  shack  Mr.  Hoyt  was  goin'  to  take  for 
himself,  Mr.  Peddar.  It's  the  best  one  around  here; 
Bud  Sawyer  built  it  for  himself  just  before  he  got  in 
that  little  argument  with  the  faro  dealer  at  the  Full 
Blast,  and  it  ain't  been  occupied  since." 

"What  is  it  like?"  asked  Jane  eagerly. 

Peddar  shuddered. 

"Three  rooms  that  would  hardly  be  called  closets,  and 
you  can  see  through  the  walls,"  he  responded  gloomily. 
"No  running  water  except  what  comes  through  a  hole 
in  the  roof,  tumbled-down  steps,  no  latch  on  the  door 
and  the  floor  gives  with  every  step.  When  I  think  of 
you  in  a  place  like  that " 

"Oh,  Big  Jim'll  lend  you  a  couple  of  men  to  put  that 
right,  and  you  can  get  a  stove  and  pans  and  some  bed- 
ding over  at  the  miner's  supply  store,"  Ma  Heaney  in- 
terrupted briskly.  "I  can  lend  you  a  table  and  some 
chairs  till  you  can  order  some  up  on  the  next  trip  of 
the  'Queen'  and  you'll  be  more  comfortable  than  most 
up  here.  Time  the  flowers  begin  to  grow " 

"Oh,  is  there  a  garden?"  cried  Jane.  "That  settles 
it,  father.  When  can  we  move  in?" 

And  it  did  settle  it.  In  spite  of  Peddar's  shocked 
remonstrances,  a  few  days  later  found  them  more  or 
less  snugly  ensconced  in  the  little  shack,  and  even  he 
was  bound  to  admit  that  it  was  an  improvement  over 
their  former  quarters.  Big  Jim  Bowers  had  fulfilled 
Ma  Heaney's  prediction  and  his  men  did  the  rough 
carpentering  well ;  the  new  stove  did  not  smoke  unduly 
and  a  lone  Chinaman  was  found  in  the  town  who  would 
come  in  now  and  then  and  help  with  the  work  which 


ii8  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

neither  the  new  settler  nor  his  daughter  w«re  capable 
of  accomplishing. 

In  the  warm  sunshine  which  streamed  out  between 
the  daily  drizzle  of  rain  Jane's  straggling  little  garden 
throve  amazingly,  and  more  than  one  shy  offer  of  help 
was  made  to  her  in  varying  dialects  by  the  men  who 
came  to  purchase  their  meager  luxuries  of  her  at  the 
store. 

She  noted  one  slight  but  significant  fact  in  the  days 
which  immediately  followed  the  explosion.  She  had 
ceased  to  be  "Miss  Peddar."  From  the  general  superin- 
tendent down  to  the  lowliest  of  the  bull  gang  she  was 
"Miss  Jane"  to  one  and  all  except  Barney  Hoyt,  and 
her  heart  wanned  at  the  inference.  In  all  respect  and 
deference  they  were  taking  her  in,  making  her  one  of 
themselves,  one  of  the  outfit.  That  rash  unconsidered 
moment  when  she  had  in  all  ignorance  rushed  in  where 
they  had  feared  to  go,  even  to  follow  their  chief,  had 
placed  her  in  their  estimation  where  months  of  diplo- 
matic kindliness  in  her  store  dealings  with  them  would 
not  have  done,  and  she  realized  it  vaguely  but  thank- 
fully. 

She  was  beginning  to  recognize  faces  in  the  slouching 
crowd,  to  remember  strange,  hardly  pronounceable 
names  and  to  greet  some  of  her  customers  with  a  per- 
sonal word  that  brought  a  flush  of  pleasure  to  many  a 
swarthy,  Slavic  brow.  Often  as  she  watched  them,  awk- 
ward, silent  and  furtive-eyed  through  sheer  embarrass- 
ment she  wondered  who  the  traitor  could  be;  the  traitor 
of  whom  Jim  Bowers  was  so  sure,  who  must  have  dis- 
closed the  location  of  the  dynamite  to  their  enemies. 

Back  in  the  first  days  after  her  arrival  Jane  would 


THE  MAN  IN  THE  SHADOW  119 

unhesitatingly  have  said  that  from  appearances  any  of 
them  might  well  have  been  capable  of  it,  but  she  was 
learning  discrimination;  learning,  however  slowly,  to 
read  the  grim  courage,  and  kindliness,  and  chivalry  that 
lay  beneath  the  rough  exterior. 

It  hurt  her  like  an  innuendo  cast  upon  a  friend  to 
feel  that  any  of  the  Northern  Star  outfit  could  betray 
his  trust,  and  yet  surely  the  superintendent's  suspicions 
must  have  been  well  founded  or  he  would  not  have  made 
so  positive  a  declaration. 

The  news  of  the  higher  grade  stock  and*  the  importa- 
tions added  to  it  at  the  unheard-of  prices  had  spread  like 
wildfire,  and  had  not  Jud  Pittinger  carefully  husbanded 
it  and  doled  it  out  to  her  it  would  all  have  been  ex- 
hausted in  the  first  few  days,  but  save  for  that  surrepti- 
tious visit  of  Malison,  the  superintendent  of  the  Unatika 
company,  Jane  could  not  ascertain  that  any  of  their 
rivals  had  risen  to  the  bait. 

A  week  passed  with  no  further  indications  of  trouble. 
The  wharf  and  ore  pockets  were  well  on  the  way  to 
completion,  the  pile  driver  and  crane  were  still,  and  work 
had  begun  in  earnest  on  the  road.  The  clearing  gang 
toiled  night  and  day,  excavating  and  grading,  the  steam- 
shovel  chugged  and  rattled  ceaselessly  and  every  after- 
noon when  Jane,  drawn  by  an  irresistible  fascination, 
stole  out  to  see  how  the  work  was  progressing,  it  seemed 
to  her  that  the  narrow  trail-like  path  shored  up  and  re- 
claimed from  the  soft  mud  and  tundra  was  lengthening 
itself  slowly  but  surely  and  stretching  out  toward  the 
foothills.  The  miracle  was  coming  to  pass! 

She  saw  little  of  Hoyt.  He  seemed  to  be  on  the  job 
with  every  shift;  sleepless,  tirelessly  vigilant  and  lend- 


120  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

ing  his  own  strength  in  any  emergency  with  a  demo- 
cratic camaraderie  which  yet  brought  with  it  no  lessening 
of  the  strictest  authority. 

One  afternoon  on  her  return  from  watching  the  clear- 
ing gang  at  work,  Jane  found  a  bright-eyed,  dark- 
skinned  laborer  loitering  about  the  door  of  the  store, 
but  not  until  Jud's  departure  did  he  enter.  Then  he 
came  deprecatingly  up  to  the  counter  and  with  an  in- 
gratiating nod  and  smile  began  fingering  the  sacks  of 
tobacco. 

Jane  watched  him  curiously.  She  was  sure  that  she 
had  seen  him  before;  even  in  the  maze  of  faces  which 
rose  before  her  there  was  something  familiar  and 
pathetically  appealing  in  the  wistful  smile  and  soft  dark 
eyes.  He  was  an  Italian,  of  course,  and  probably  on 
the  night  shift,  yet  she  wondered  to  which  of  the  gangs 
he  belonged.  Why  had  he  hesitated  to  enter  when  Jud 
was  there?  Could  it  be  that  he  was  one  of  the  rival 
outfit  ?  Then  all  at  once  she  recalled  him  and  smiled. 

"Did  you  like  the  silk  handkerchief  you  bought  last 
week  ?"  she  asked. 

The  man  smiled  with  a  flash  of  white  teeth  in  his 
thin  face. 

"Yes-a  Mees!  I  come  for  see-a  de  raze,  de  raze  in 
de  little-a  box." 

He  glanced  over  his  shoulder  and  then  eagerly  back 
to  her  once  more. 

"You  mean  these?"  Jane  displayed  the  new  razors  in 
their  ornate  boxes  and  the  man  took  them  up  in  his 
hands  with  almost  childish  pleasure.  "They  are  two 
dollars,  but  we  have  some  cheaper  ones." 


THE  MAN  IN  THE  SHADOW  121 

He  shook  his  head  at  the  suggestion  and  selecting  one, 
pulled  out  a  slender  roll  of  worn  bills. 

"This  cut-a  good,"  he  announced  and  slipping  it  into 
his  pocket  he  turned  to  go,  yet  lingered. 

"Wait  a  minute,"  Jane  said  on  an  impulse.  "What  is 
your  name?" 

The  man  hesitated,  embarrassed. 

"Name  Pietro."  He  paused  and  then  came  shyly  to- 
ward her  once  more.  "You  like-a  see  my  bambino? 
Got-a  de  pict,  came  last-a  boat.  I  never  see  heem  yet, 
me." 

He  took  a  cheap  card-mounted  photograph  from  his 
pocket  and  thrust  it  into  her  hands.  It  was  none  too 
clean  and  bore  traces  already  of  much  handling,  but 
Jane  smiled  warmly  as  she  saw  the  face  of  a  very  young, 
very  swarthy  baby  wrapped  in  a  multitude  of  shawls. 

"Oh,  your  baby !"  she  exclaimed.  "And  you've  never 
seen  it?  It  will  be  quite  big  when  the  road  is  finished 
and  you  go  back." 

The  Italian's  smile  faded  and  he  averted  his  face  as 
he  took  the  little  photograph  from  her. 

"Yes-a  beeg,"  he  assented  simply. 

"It  is  a  lovely  baby !"  Jane  was  touched  by  the  lonely 
man's  confidence.  "You  must  tell  me  about  it  and  about 
your  wife,  sometime,  Pietro.  Where  are  they?" 

But  Pietro  was  casting  uneasy  glances  over  his 
shoulder  and  sidling  toward  the  door. 

"Some-a  time,  Mees,  t'anks.  I  go  now;  late-a  for 
de  job." 

He  smiled  wistfully  once  more,  nodded  and  was  gone 
while  Jane  started  contemplatively  to  pick  up  the  re- 
maining razors.  The  man  must  be  one  of  the  Unatika 


122  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

outfit;  his  apprehensive  glances  at  the  door,  his  palpable 
furtiveness  and  haste  all  betrayed  him  as  an  interloper. 
Yet  he  had  been  there  before  more  than  once,  and  he 
had  ventured  against  just  to  show  her  his  baby's  picture, 
to  gain  a  word  of  sympathy  and  friendliness  in  this 
strange,  bleak  land.  If  she  in  turn  had  succeeded  in 
gaining  his  liking,  his  friendship,  and  personal  confi- 
dence had  come,  could  she  not  later  win  his  confidence 
in  other  things,  in  the  machinations  perhaps  of  the  com- 
pany which  employed  him? 

He  had  not  looked  like  the  sort  of  ruffian  to  be  con- 
sciously engaged  in  the  treacherous  work  afoot,  yet  he 
might  be  just  stupid  enough  to  do  blindly  what  he  was 
told,  and  to  reveal  it  with  childlike  candor  later  to  any- 
one whom  he  trusted.  It  might  be  that  she  had  gained 
a  foothold  at  last  in  the  task  which  she  had  undertaken. 

So  absorbed  was  she  in  her  cogitations  that  Jane  did 
not  observe  when  a  tall  figure  darkened  the  doorway,  nor 
glance  up  until  a  hated,  well-remembered  drawl  fell 
upon  her  ears. 

"Trade  isn't  very  brisk  to-day,  is  it,  little  lady?" 
Malison  lounged  familiarly  over  the  counter,  his  curi- 
ously light  eyes  leering  at  her. 

.  "Brisk  enough,"  she  responded  shortly.    "What  do  you 
want?" 

"Nothing  you've  got  to  sell."  He  straightened  and 
edged  nearer.  "Just  a  word  with  you.  Look  here,  you 
got  sore  at  me  the  other  day  but  let's  forget  it  and 
be  friends.  I  was  only  kidding  and  you're  the  only 
girl  around  these  diggings  that  I'd  give  a  whoop  for. 
I  don't  mind  telling  you  that  you've  got  me  going,  and 
I'm  some  hard  to  please.  There  ain't  much  a  fellow 


THE  MAN  IN  THE  SHADOW  123 

can  do  to  show  a  girl  a  good  time  up  in  a  hole  like  this, 
but  if  you'll  make  up  and  shake  hands  on  it  the  next 
trip  of  the  'Queen'  will  bring  up  for  you  from  Seattle 
the  prettiest " 

"No,  thank  you."  Jane  shook  her  head.  "I'm  not 
'sore'  at  you,  as  you  say.  I  am  here  to  sell  goods,  but 
not  to  take  any  insolence,  and  I  have  no  desire  to  shake 
hands  with  you.  If  you  don't  want  to  buy  anything 
please  go." 

"What  a  little  spitfire!"  He  chuckled  and  made  no 
move  toward  departure.  "Mad  still,  are  you?  Danged 
if  I  don't  like  your  spirit,  but  what's  the  talk  of  a  kiss 
or  two  between  friends?  For  we're  going  to  be  friends 
yet,  little  lady.  I  had  my  eye  on  you  from  the  first 
day  you  landed,  and  if  I  started  out  wrong  why,  I'm 
willing  to  admit  it.  Know  what  this  is?" 

He  had  reached  into  his  pocket  and  tossed  out  upon 
the  counter  a  tiny  object  which  gleamed  with  a  score 
of  darts  of  fire. 

"A  diamond!"  Jane  exclaimed,  startled  in  spite  of 
herself  at  the  incongruity  of  the  thing  there  among  the 
sacks  of  tobacco  and  boxes  of  razors. 

"And  a  beauty !"  Malison  nodded.  "Found  her  myself 
in  Brazil  and  had  her  cut  two  years  ago  in  Frisco. 
Haven't  seen  a  girl  yet  I'd  give  it  to  until  now,  but  if 
you  say  the  word  it's  yours." 

He  squared  himself  with  an  air  of  coming  triumph, 
and  Jane  smiled. 

"I  don't  want  it.  Please  take  it  off  the  counter;  it 
might  get  lost,"  she  said.  "Diamonds  are  a  little  out 
of  place  up  here  in  Alaska  and  if  you  want  my  friend- 


124  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

ship  you  will  have  to  be  a  little  more  respectful  than 
you've  been  in  the  past,  my  good  man." 

The  note  of  disdainful  patronage  was  a  momentary 
and  wholly  unconscious  reversion  to  the  Jane  of  the 
past,  but  Malison's  face  darkened  evilly  as  he  swept  up 
his  rejected  peace  offering  and  dropped  it  into  his 
pocket. 

"All  right !"  he  muttered  savagely.  "But  don't  try  any 
of  your  fine  lady  airs  on  me!  I  know  your  kind  and 
I'll  make  you  sorry  for  this  before  I'm  through  with 
you!" 

For  an  instant  he  lowered  threateningly  at  her,  then 
his  expression  changed  swiftly  and  turning  he  strode 
from  the  store. 

Jane  gasped  with  relief  and  then  smiled  rather 
tremulously  as  Jud  appeared  in  the  door.  Malison's  ear 
must  have  been  quicker  than  her  own  to  detect  the  ap- 
proach of  her  ally. 

"Say,  was  that  there  Malison  in  here  again,  Miss 
Jane?"  demanded  Jud.  "He's  about  the  worst  feller 
hangs  around  this  town,  besides  being  a  Unatika  man." 

"I  told  him  to  go,  but  I  couldn't  very  well  put  him 
out,  could  I?"  Jane  asked.  "I  don't  see  how  he  dares 
come  in  here  in  broad  daylight  with  all  your  people 
about,  but  I  didn't  let  him  know  that  I  knew  he  wasn't 
one  of  our  own  men." 

"Well,  you  can  the  next  time  he  shows  his  sneakin' 
face  in  here,  and  mighty  quick,  too !"  Jud  growled  in 
unaccustomed  wrath.  "Orders  is  orders,  but  I  ain't 
goin'  to  have  a  feller  like  him  pesterin'  you,  Miss  Jane ! 
That  there  gat  behind  the  counter  ain't  any  more  use 
to  you  than  it  would  be  to  a  kitten,  and  if  I  wasn't  a 


THE  MAN  IN  THE  SHADOW  125 

born  fool  I  might've  knowed  it,  but  I'm  going  to  get 
you  a  watchman's  whistle,  and  if  he  or  anybody  else 
bothers  you,  just  blow  it.  I'll  tell  the  boys  that  if  I 
ain't  around  and  they  hear  it  they  are  to  come  in  and 
just  naterally  clean  up  the  store!" 

"I  guess  I — I'd  like  to  have  it,"  Jane  heard  herself 
reply,  to  her  own  consternation,  and  she  mentally 
berated  her  weakness.  Had  she  not  boasted  that  she 
could  take  care  of  herself  ?  What  had  she  to  fear  from 
that  man's  idle  threats?  The  whole  thing  seemed  ab- 
surdly melodramatic  and  unreal  now  that  he  had  gone, 
and  rough  as  the  town  was  she  had  met  with  no  molesta- 
tion elsewhere  save  in  the  store,  where  one  scream  would 
have  brought  practically  the  whole  outfit  swarming  to 
her  aid. 

She  put  away  the  stock,  told  Jud  of  her  single  sale 
of  the  razor  and  started  home  to  supper  with  her  little 
chin  held  very  high.  She  would  not  be  a  miserable 
coward ! 

As  she  left  the  store  she  paused  for  a  moment  to 
look  down  toward  the  waterfront  where  the  wharf,  de- 
serted now  by  the  hive  of  workmen  who  had  swarmed 
over  it  only  a  week  before,  lay  steaming  in  the  sun- 
light after  the  recent  rain.  The  ore  pockets  which  lined 
its  outer  edge  cast  sharp,  deep  shadows  backward,  and 
as  Jane  looked  it  seemed  to  her  that  a  man  darted  from 
one  to  the  other  of  the  pockets.  She  could  not  be  sure, 
the  sun  was  so  dazzling  and  the  thick-set  figure  seemed 
to  have  moved  so  quickly. 

Her  first  impulse  was  to  call  to  Jud,  and  she  reflected 
that  it  might  be  one  of  the  watchmen  on  guard  and  did 


126  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

not  want  to  appear  officious.  Jane  decided  to  reconnoiter 
herself. 

She  walked  slowly  down  the  wharf,  her  feet  making 
no  sound  on  the  mud  which  had  sloughed  up  between 
the  loose  boards  of  the  sidewalk,  and  made  her  way 
around  the  ore  pocket  at  the  end.  No  one  was  in  sight 
and  she  was  on  the  point  of  concluding  that  her  eyes 
must  have  deceived  her  when,  as  she  neared  the  third 
pocket,  a  man  came  hastily  around  its  corner  and  met 
her  face  to  face. 

For  a  moment  they  stood  staring,  then  the  man  nodded 
surlily,  and  putting  his  hands  in  his  pockets  strolled 
past  her  with  an  elaborate  assumption  of  nonchalance. 

Jane  stood  motionless,  watching  until  his  shambling 
figure  had  crossed  the  wharf  and  started  up  Main  Street 
in  the  obvious  direction  of  the  Full  Blast.  She  was 
undecided  what  to  do;  his  errand  on  the  wharf  might 
have  been  a  perfectly  legitimate  one  and  at  the  moment 
she  herself  had  no  right  to  be  there.  Undoubtedly  he 
was  an  employee  of  the  Northern  Star;  she  had  seen 
him  in  the  store  frequently  and  about  the  storage  yard 
with  the  other  members  of  the  bull  gang,  and  his  face 
with  its  lowering  brow,  nearset,  deep  sunken  eyes  and 
wide,  high  cheekbones  was  not  one  which  could  be 
easily  forgotten,  although  she  did  not  remember  ever  to 
have  heard  his  name. 

Even  should  she  report  his  presence  there  the  girl 
doubted  that  she  would  be  able  to  pick  him  out  posi- 
tively from  so  many  other  Russian  and  Slavic  employees 
at  the  works  if  she  were  called  upon  to  do  so,  and  she 
resolved  for  the  time  being  at  least  to  keep  her  own 
counsel. 


THE  MAN  IN  THE  SHADOW  127 

Yet  as  she  made  her  way  slowly  home  a  disquieting 
thought  pervaded  her  consciousness  and  would  not  be 
exorcised.  What  if  he  were  the  still  undiscovered  man 
who  had  betrayed  the  location  of  the  dynamite  to  their 
enemies,  the  traitor  to  the  Northern  Star ! 


CHAPTER  X 

PlETRO 

THE  little  side  street  upon  which  stood  the  shack 
where  Peddar  and  Jane  had  taken  up  their 
abode  started  like  a  narrow  alley,  with  ram- 
shackle frame  buildings  standing  shoulder  to  shoulder 
on  either  side,  their  porches  crowding  out  over  the  single 
plank  which  served  as  a  walk.  Further  on  the  houses 
thinned,  with  long  gaps  of  open  space  between,  and 
where  the  unfortunate  Bud  Sawyer  had  built  his  home 
only  the  deserted  tumbled-down  ruins  of  another  shack 
fifty  feet  away  bore  it  company. 

As  Jane  passed  it,  her  thoughts  still  busied  with  the 
man  she  had  seen  lurking  in  the  shadows  of  the  ore 
pockets  on  the  wharf,  she  heard  a  faint  groan  which 
seemed  to  emanate  from  behind  the  heap  of  broken 
weather-stained  boards,  and  paused.  The  place  was 
eerie  and  deserted  even  in  the  paling  light  of  the  sun 
which  was  already  disappearing  behind  a  murk  of  cloud 
once  more,  and  the  Jane  of  a  month  ago  would  have 
taken  promptly  to  her  trim  high  heels,  but  now  she 
hesitated. 

If  someone  were  ill  or  hurt,  lying  there  all  alone, 

someone  of  her  own  outfit Even  as  the  thought 

came  to  her  she  heard  another  groan,  deeper  and  more 
prolonged  than  before,  and  waiting  no  longer  she  picked 

lift 


<  PIETRO  129 

her  way  through  the  oozing  mud  around  to  the  back  of 
the  ruined  shack. 

A  man  was  lying  there,  his  limbs  twisted  as  though 
in  pain,  both  arms  crooked  over  his  face  and  head  as 
if  to  ward  off  a  blow,  and  as  she  stood  looking  at  him 
a  sort  of-  broken  sob  tore  its  way  from  his  throat. 

"Oh,  what  is  it?  What  is  the  matter?"  Jane  asked 
pityingly,  and  then  shrank  back  in  horrified  amazement 
as  the  man's  arm  dropped  and  he  essayed  to  rise.  His 
face  was  bloody  and  battered  almost  beyond  recogni- 
tion, one  eye  blackened  and  closed  and  a  deep  hideous 
gash  ran  across  his  cheekbone. 

"Mees!"  The  word  came  in  a  sobbing  gulp,  and  as 
he  fell  back  again  she  saw  that  the  knuckles  of  both 
hands  were  abraised  to  mere  pulp.  "Mees !  Please-a 
you  go !  No  place-a  for  you.  Maybe  he  come-a  back !" 

"Pietro!"  In  spite  of  his  mangled  countenance  there 
was  no  mistaking  that  soft  voice,  wistful  even  in  pain. 
It  was  the  lonely  little  Italian  who  had  shown  her  the 
picture  of  his  "bambino"  only  an  hour  or  two  before 
in  the  store.  "Pietro,  what  has  happened  to  you  ?  Who 
has  hurt  you  like  this?" 

There  was  silence  for  a  minute,  the  silence  of  a  race 
which  keeps  its  own  counsel  and  seeks  its  own  revenge. 
Then  reluctantly,  through  set  teeth  came  the  single  word : 

"Malison." 

A  partial  light  broke  over  Jane  and  with  an  involun- 
tary shudder  she  glanced  about  her,  but  no  one  was  in 
sight  and  she  said  decisively: 

"I  can't  leave  you  here  like  this,  Pietro,  and  I  won't ! 
Come !  Try  to  get  up  and  lean  on  me.  My  own  home 


130  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

is   only  a   little   way   and   we   must   get   the   company 

doctor " 

"No-a  doc!     I  not  your  company;  I  Unatika " 


"I  know  that,"  Jane  responded  quietly.  "It  doesn't 
matter  though ;  you  must  have  some  help.  Try,  Pietro." 

The  wretched  man  made  a  determined  effort,  but  his 
breath  caught  in  a  tearing  sob  and  with  one  hand  clasped 
to  his  side  he  fell  back  once  more. 

"He  kick-a  me  in  de  reeb  after  I  fall-a  down."  The 
voice  came  faintly  as  if  ashamed  of  the  confession. 
"Please-a  go,  Mees !  He  come-a  back,  maybe  keel-a  you. 
He  bad-a  man!" 

"He's  a  great,  big,  blustering  coward !"  Jane  cried  in- 
dignantly, for  the  pitiable  condition  of  the  little  Italian 
wrung  her  heart.  "I  can't  get  you  up  alone  by  myself, 
but  you  just  lie  here  quietly  for  a  minute  and  I'll  bring 
my  father.  Don't  try  to  move ;  your  face  is  bleeding  so !" 

She  turned  up  the  skirt  of  her  dress,  tore  a  wide 
strip  from  her  petticoat  and  gently  pressed  it  over  the 
gash  in  his  cheek,  then  turned  and  plunged  off  heed- 
lessly through  the  mud.  Suppose  Malison  should  return 
to  finish  the  work  he  had  so  dastardly  commenced  ?  She 
could  have  no  inkling  of  the  quarrel  between  the  two, 
but  there  was  no  thought  now  of  self-interest  in  attempt- 
ing to  gain  Pietro's-  friendship:  the  wistful  little  man 
had  appealed  irresistibly  to  her  sympathies  in  the  after- 
noon, and  now  she  felt  that  they  were  leagued  against 
a  common  enemy.  She  must  get  help,  and  quickly. 

To  Peddar,  bending  his  dignified  back  over  the  un- 
congenial task  at  the  stove  there  entered  a  veritable 
whirlwind,  which  seized  him  and  bore  him  through  the 
door  and  breathlessly  along  in  the  mud,  replying  to 


PIETRO  131 

his  vociferous  protestations  by  utterly  incomprehensible 
allusions  to  someone  who  was  badly  hurt  and  someone 
else  who  ought  to  be  shot,  and  ending  with  the  impera- 
tive and  impossible  injunctions  to  "hurry." 

When  at  length  they  reached  the  recumbent  figure, 
Peddar  drew  back  in  horror. 

"Oh,  miss,  it's  murder  as  has  been  done!  Whatever 
are  you  mixing  up  in  it  for?  Come  straight  away  and 
leave  him  to  the " 

"It's  not!  He  has  been  terribly  beaten  and  we  are 
going  to  take  him  home  and  help  him!"  Jane  declared. 
"I — I  know  him;  he  is  a  friend  of  mine." 

"A  friend!"  Peddar  groaned.  "If  Mr.  Geddes  could 
hear  you,  miss,  I'm  sure  I  don't  know  what  he  would 
say,  I  don't  indeed!  And  as  for  taking  him  home " 

"You  kneel  down  there,  father,  and  slip  your  arm 
under  his  shoulders,"  Jane  ordered  briefly.  "I  don't 
give  a — a  whoop  what  Mr.  Geddes  or  anybody  else  would 
say,  and  you  ought  to  know  it  by  now!  Don't  mind 
about  your  clothes  getting  muddy — help  him  up,  I  say! 
Come,  Pietro,  try  to  help  us." 

Pietro  only  moaned  faintly,  but  between  them  they 
managed  to  get  him  upon  his  feet,  although  it  was 
evident  that  he  was  on  the  point  of  absolute  collapse. 
He  set  his  teeth,  but  groan  after  groan  forced  its  way 
from  him  during  the  brief  journey,  and  even  Peddar's 
protestations  were  shocked  to  silence  by  the  man's  evi- 
dent suffering. 

They  eased  him  down  upon  the  cot  in  the  kitchen, 
and  Jane  tore  a  sheet  into  strips  for  bandages  while 
Peddar  heated  water  on  the  stove,  and  forced  some 
brandy  between  the  man's  bruised  lips. 


132  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

He  murmured  broken,  incoherent  expressions  of 
gratitude  for  their  ministrations  and  then  lapsed  into 
silence,  but  as  Jane  was  completing  the  bandage  about 
his  battered  head  he  started  up  from  the  cot  in  sudden 
alarm. 

Jane's  eyes  followed  his  frightened  glance  to  the  door 
and  she  rose  slowly  to  her  feet.  Barney  Hoyt  stood 
on  the  threshold. 

"Good-evening,"  he  said.    "I — what  has  happened?" 

"A  friend  of  mine  has  been  hurt,"  Jane  explained 
briefly.  "Come,  Pietro,  lie  down  again.  Mr.  Hoyt  won't 
hurt  you." 

Uninvited,  Hoyt  entered  and  walking  to  the  cot  looked 
down  upon  the  man  for  a  moment  in  silence.  When 
he  spoke  again  there  was  a  curiously  repressed  note  in 
his  voice. 

"He  isn't  one  of  our  outfit." 

"No.  He  is  employed  by  the  Unatika  people,"  Jane 
added.  "Come  out  on  the  porch  with  me  while  Peddar 
attends  to  his  side  and  I  will  explain." 

Hoyt  followed  her  in  a  noncommittal  silence,  and 
when  she  seated  herself  upon  the  steps  and  made  room 
for  him  shyly  beside  her,  he  did  not  accept  the  mute 

• 

invitation,  but  stood  leaning  against  the  rough  spruce 
post  which  upheld  the  shaky  roof,  and  waited  for  her 
to  speak. 

"You  see,  he's  been  buying  things  at  the  store — 
tobacco  and  handkerchiefs  and  that  sort  of  thing — and 
I  didn't  know  until  to-day  that  he  didn't  belong  to  the 
Northern  Star  outfit,"  Jane  began,  angry  at  herself  for 
proffering  the  explanation,  and  still  angrier  at  her  com- 
panion for  making  her  feel  that  one  was  necessary. 


PIETRO  133 

"When  he  came  in  to-day  he  seemed  so  furtive  and 
hurried  and  so  afraid  that  someone  would  come  in  and 
find  him  there  that  I  could  not  help  noticing  it,  but 
Mr.  Pittinger  had  told  me  to  sell  to  anyone  who  came 
in,  no  matter  who,  without  asking  if  they  belonged  to 
our  outfit  or  not.  I  sold  him  a  razor  and  he  showed  me 
his  baby's  picture  and  seemed  so  lonesome  and  longing 
for  a  friendly  world  like  a — a  dog  that  had  been  abused, 
that  I  felt  sorry  for  him." 

She  paused,  but  Hoyt  merely  said  quietly: 
"Go  on,  please.  How  does  he  come  to  be  here?" 
"I — I  found  him  just  now  back  of  that  tumbled-down 
shack  in  the  next  lot,  groaning  terribly  and  with  his 
face  all  beaten  in.  He  said  that  Malison  had  done  it, 
*id  had  kicked  him,  too,  when  he  was  down!  Just  to 
see  if  my  suspicions  about  him  were  correct,  I  told  him 
I  would  get  the  company  doctor,  and  he  told  me  frankly 
that  he  did  not  belong  to  the  Northern  Star  outfit  but 
to  the  Unatika."  Jane  paused  and  added:  "I  haven't 
been  able  to  find  out  from  him  yet  what  the  trouble 
was  about  but  I  think  it  must  have  had  something  to 
do  with  his  coming  to  our  store,  for  just  after  he  had 
left  to-day  Malison  himself  came  in  and  he — he  was 
impertinent." 

"To  you?  What  did  he  say?"  Hoyt's  voice  was 
sterner  than  she  had  ever  heard  it  and  Jane  replied  hur- 
riedly : 

"Oh,  nothing  worth  repeating.  He  was  trying  to — to 
make  friends  with  me,  I  think,  but  I  don't  like  him  and 
besides  he  belongs  to  the  outfit  that  has  brought  all  this 
trouble  to  the  Northern  Star." 

"Yet  you  take  another  Unatika  man  into  your  home." 


134  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

Hoyt  spoke  with  no  suggestion  of  accusation,  but  as  if 
he  were  trying  to  understand,  and  Jane  drew  a  deep 
breath. 

"Well,  you  see,  Mr.  Hoyt,  he  seemed  so  sort  of 
pathetically  anxious  for  a  friendly  word  and  so  lonely 
this  afternoon,  that  I  thought  he  might  be  approachable 
in  time  if  I  gave  him  cause  to  be  grateful  to  me." 

"Aproachable  ?"  The  young  engineer  seated  himself 
suddenly  on  the  step  beside  her  and  looked  directly  into 
her  eyes.  "Just  what  do  you  mean,  Miss  Peddar?" 

"Simply  that  if  there  is  a  traitor  in  our  camp,  as  Mr. 
Bowers  says,  it  might  be  as  well  to  have  a  friend  in 
theirs,"  Jane  added  hastily.  "I  don't  mean  to  meddle 
with  things  which  do  not  concern  me,  Mr.  Hoyt,  but 
this  Pietro  doesn't  seem  to  be  a  bad  sort,  and  a  lonely 
man  will  sometimes  tell  things  to  a  girl  who  is  sym- 
pathetic and  has  been  kind  to  him  that  he  would  not  slip 
to  a  man  in  the  other  organization.  I  know  it  sounds 
despicable,  but  it's  only  fighting  fire  with  fire,  and  after 
that  poor  boy  was  hurt  in  that  explosion  last  week  I 
thought  almost  any  means  would  be  fair  enough  to  use 
if  it  would  be  possible  to  learn  their  plans  or  something 
that  would  directly  implicate  them." 

"By  Jove,  you  are  right,  and  it  was  a  very  clever  idea 
of  yours!"  Hoyt  caught  himself  up  and  added  deliber- 
ately. "If  it  was  your  idea,  Miss  Peddar?" 

He  put  the  remark  in  the  form  of  so  unmistakable  a 
question  that  Jane  faced  him  squarely,  with  widened 
eyes. 

"Why,  of  course !  Who  in  the  world  would  have  sug- 
gested it  to  me?"  she  asked  with  an  assumption  of 
perfect  candor,  reflecting  inwardly  that  she  was  at  least 


PIETRO  135 

telling  the  literal  truth.  It  had  been  her  own  idea  from 
its  inception  in  those  far-off  days  in  New  York.  "I 
know  I  am  only  employed  to  tend  store,  but  I  thought 
that  if  there  were  anything  else  which  I  might  do  to 
help  without  meddling  too  much,  no  one  would  object. 
We — we're  all  just  working  together,  aren't  we?" 

"That's  the  spirit!"  Hoyt  rose,  his  eyes  shining,  and 
held  out  his  hand.  "Object?  Miss  Peddar,  I  would  be 
only  too  thankful  to  you  if  you  can  learn  anything 
which  would  help  us  to  circumvent  these  scoundrels!  I 
don't  mind  telling  you  that  there  may  be  grave  trouble 
ahead;  they  are  hindering  us  more  than  appears  on  the 
surface,  and  they  are  only  waiting  for  us  to  do  some- 
thing lawless  in  retaliation  in  order  to  get  the  marshal 
from  Juneau  and  stop  our  work  altogether.  But  I  will 
go  in  now,  with  your  permission,  and  have  a  look  at 
your  patient  to  see  if  that  brute  Malison  has  injured 
him  seriously." 

Jane  waited,  gazing  out  over  the  bleak,  dismal  prospect 
to  the  foothills  beyond  with  dreamy  eyes.  She  was  no 
longer  angry,  but  rather  glad  of  the  interview,  glad  that 
she  had  explained  her  position  to  this  masterful  and  yet 
singularly  attractive  young  man.  To  him,  of  course,  she 
was  merely  a  little  shop-girl  and  he  must  believe  that  the 
idea  of  worming  herself  into  Pietro's  confidence  had 
only  occurred  to  her  on  the  spur  of  the  moment. 

He  had  approved,  he  had  trusted  her,  and  his  hand- 
clasp had  been  the  most  encouraging  and  comforting 
thing  that  had  happened  to  her  since  her  arrival.  It  was 
odd,  she  reflected,  how  a  little  thing  like  that,  a  mere 
gesture  from  one  of  her  own  employees  could  so  hearten 
her  for  the  task  which  all  unknown  to  him  lay  before 


136  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

her.  If  he,  with  his  queer  socialistic  ideas  had  suspected 
who  she  was,  of  course,  he  wouldn't  have  shaken  hands 
with  her  for  anything ! 

He  was  frankly  friendly  with  her  because  he  thought 
her  merely  a  working  girl,  and  he  had  been  proud  to 
declare  himself  only  a  workingman,  and  yet  he  wasn't 
at  all.  There  was  something  beyond  the  unmistakable 
university  breeding  which  would  crop  out,  something 
beneath  the  purposely  assumed  roughness  of  his  bearing 
which  told  her  that  if  not  actually  of  her  own  world 
he  was  at  least  beyond  the  class  to  which  he  almost 
defiantly  allied  himself. 

Of  course,  perfectly  nice  young  men  of  good  family 
became  construction  engineers,  but  they  would  try  to 
appear  at  their  best,  to  raise,  not  lower  themselves,  and 
she  shrewdly  suspected  that  they  would  look  largely  and 
patronizingly  down  upon  a  girl  who  came  to  a  rough 
Alaskan  town  to  work  in  a  mining  company's  store.  It 
was  all  very  puzzling. 

Peddar  came  to  the  door  and  roused  her  from  her 
reverie. 

"J — Jane,"  he  stammered,  mindful  for  once  of  the 
listeners  within,  "Mr.  Hoyt  thinks  I  had  better  walk 
down  with  the  man  to  Mrs.  Heaney's.  He  can't  get 
out  to  his  own  company's  bunk-houses  to-night,  and 
that's  the  only  place  for  him  to  stay.  Mrs.  Heaney  is 
rather  down  on  that  other  company,  and  I  understand 
I  shall  have  to  persuade  her  to  take  him  in." 

Peddar's  tone  suggested  no  pleasure  at  the  prospect, 
but  Jane  ignored  it. 

"  'His  own  bunk-houses !'  "  she  repeated.  "You  don't 
mean  to  say  he  is  going  back " 


PIETRO  137 

"Yes.  He  says  he  must  work  as  soon  as  he  is  able 
until  payday,  so  as  to  get  the  money  that  is  coming  to 
him,  if  I  can  understand  his  lingo,  and  then  he  will  go 
home.  Mr.  Hoyt  offered  him  a  place  on  the  Northern 
Star,  but  he  says  they  would  kill  him;  the  other  people, 
I  mean!"  Peddar's  voice  had  sunken  with  horror.  "I 
— I'm  sure  I  hope  they  don't  offer  him  any  violence  on 
the  way  to  Mrs.  Heaney's,  seeing  him  with  me  and 
knowing  we  are  connected  with  the  company  here,  as 
you  might  say." 

"Of  course  they  won't,  father;  don't  be  silly!"  Jane 
rose  and  turned  to  enter  the  shack.  "Is  he  really  able 
to  go?  His  ribs  aren't  broken,  or  anything?" 

It  was  Hoyt  who  answered  her. 

"Not  broken,  but  very  badly  bruised.  He  has  taken 
a  terrific  beating,  but  I  can't  get  out  of  him  what  it 
was  all  about." 

Pietro,  his  swarthy  skin  pale  beneath  the  bandages, 
was  sitting  on  the  side  of  the  cot  and  as  he  turned  a 
grateful  eye  upon  the  girl  his  swollen  lips  moved. 

"He  mad-a  at  me,  maybe  beat-a  too  if  he  know,"  he 
muttered  gesturing  with  one  white-swathed  hand  toward 
the  engineer. 

"No,  Pietro,  I'm  sure  he  won't  be  angry,  and  I  know 
he  wouldn't  hurt  you  if  he  were,"  Jane  responded  en- 
couragingly. "Was  it  because  you  bought  things  from 
our  store  that  Malison  attacked  you?" 

Pietro  nodded,  half-fearfully. 

"I  bring  them  all-a  back,  all-a  but  de  raze'!"  he  said 
eagerly.  "I  no  right  to  buy  off-a  you,  but  our  stuff  no 
good,  big- a  price.  Malison  he  see  me  dis-a  afternoon. 
I  see  heem  go  your  store  too  but  he  come-a  out  queek 


138  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

and  verra  mad,  black-a  de  look.  He  see  me  show  de 
raze'  one  our  boys,  he  come  after  me,  tak-a  de  raze' 
away  and  do  to  me  whatta  you  see.  I  theenk  I  die  you 
no  come  feex-a  me  up,  Mees.  I  no  t'ank-a  you,  I  no 
can  t'ank " 

"That  is  quite  all  right,  Pietro,  and  you  need  not 
return  the  things  you  bought.  I  am  only  glad  that  you 
feel  stronger  now  and  are  not  in  such  pain."  Jane 
smiled  at  him.  "My  father  will  go  with  you  to  Ma 
Heaney's  and  see  that  she  takes  you  in.  I  hope  that 
you  will  not  have  any  more  trouble  with  your  superin- 
tendent." 

Pietro  shrugged. 

"I  tak-a  de  chance,"  he  observed  philosophically. 
"When  I  get-a  my  pay  I  quit-a  de  comp';  no  good,  not 
on  de  square." 

Jane  waited  with  a  little  catch  in  her  breath,  but  he 
said  no  more  and  she  dared  not  question  him  in  the 
presence  of  Hoyt  lest  she  lose  what  confidence  the 
Italian  might  have  placed  in  her. 

When  he  had  departed  leaning  heavily  upon  Peddar's 
arm  she  turned  to  the  engineer. 

"You  will  stay  and  have  supper  with  us,  won't  you? 
My  father  isn't  a  very  -good  cook,  I  am  afraid,  but  we 
have  lots  of  canned  things,  and  we  would  be  so  glad  to 
have  you." 

He  shook  his  head  smilingly.. 

"Thank  you,  but  I  can  only  «stay  until  your  father 
comes  home,"  he  replied. 

"I  suppose  it  wouldn't  do,"  she  answered  mischiev- 
ously. "It  wouldn't  be  the  thing  for  the  chief  of  the 


PIETRO  139 

Northern  Star  Company  to  accept  the  hospitality  of  the 
humblest  of  his  employees." 

To  her  surprise  he  did  not  respond  in  like  tone  to  her 
raillery.  Instead  his  face  darkened  again  and  he  said 
almost  fiercely: 

"You  know  that  isn't  the  reason!  Do  you  take  me 
for  a  snob,  Miss  Peddar?  Position  and  place  make 
no  difference  up  here,  thank  God.  It  is  the  work  that 
counts.  But  I've  got  to  get  back  to  the  job." 

"It's  progressing,  isn't  it?"  Jane  asked.  "The  other 
people  have  done  nothing  to  interfere  with  you  since 
the  explosion,  have  they  ?  I  wish-  they  would  let  me  go 
to  see  that  poor  boy,  but  the  doctor  said  it  would  not  be 
establishing  a  good  precedent." 

"Hansen  is  coming  along  nicely  and  we  will  have  him 
back  at  work  in  a  few  days,  now."  Hoyt  paused  and 
then  turned  to  her  with  a  curious  boyish  impetuousness. 
"I  don't  suppose  you  have  any  idea  of  it,  Miss  Peddar, 
but  I  want  to  tell  you  how  much  you  did  for  me  that 
day  when  you  followed  me  to  that  demolished  shack 
where  the  men  themselves  were  afraid  to  go." 

Jane  smiled. 

"I  didn't  know  there  was  any  danger,"  she  said  with 
naive  honesty.  "They  shouted  to  me  but  I  didn't  stop 
to  hear  what  they  said,  or  even  to  think." 

"No,"  he  repeated.  "You  didn't  stop  to  hear  or  even 
to  think,  and  when  Jud  Pittinger  asked  you  why  you 
had  walked  straight  into  danger,  you  said  it  was  because 
I  had  gone.  Do  you  realize  what  effect  that  had  upon 
the  men  themselves?  That  you,  a  newcomer  on  the  job, 
a  mere  girl,  would  follow  where  I  led,  unquestioningly, 
while  they  held  back?  I  suppose  I  was  fairly  successful 


140  THE    SINGLE  TRACK 

with  them  before  that,  but  I  am  a  comparative  new- 
comer myself,  you  know,  and  although  they  acknowl- 
edged my  authority  and  seemed  to  like  me  in  a  sort  of 
way  I  did  not  know  how  far  I  could  trust  them  for 
absolute  loyalty  in  a  crisis.  You  shamed  them,  Miss 
Peddar,  and  I  think'  if  I  know  men  that  they  would 
follow  me  into  the  very  jaws  of  disaster." 

"If  they  would,  it  is  only  your  own  personality  which 
has  done  it,  Mr.  Hoyt."  Jane  turned  away  to  hide  her 
glowing  eyes.  "I  hope  they  are  loyal,  but  if  there  is 
really  a  traitor  among  them " 

"I  am  afraid  there  can  be  no  question  of  that." 
Hoyt's  face  grew  swiftly  grave  once  more.  "So  many 
of  these  so-called  accidents  have  occurred  at  or  near  the 
time  when  they  could  do  us  the  most  harm,  that  they 
must  be  obtaining  inside  information  from  some  source. 
Bowers  and  I  have  talked  with  the  men  and  studied 
them,  but  we  cannot  be  sure  and  it  is  a  pretty  rotten 
thing  to  hold  an  innocent  man  under  suspicion." 

"Tell  me,"  Jane  spoke  quickly,  as  a  sudden  thought 
returned  to  her,  "who  should  have  been  around  the 
wharf  and  the  ore  pockets  this  afternoon,  an  hour  or 
so  ago  ?" 

"No  one  but  the  watchman."  Hoyt  glanced  at  her 
in  surprise. 

"Is  he  a  Russian  or  a  Slav?  A  thick-set  man,  with 
sunken  eyes  close  together,  and  high  cheekbones?" 

"No.  He's  Pat  Culhane,  a  big,  blond  Irishman." 
Hoyt's  tone  had  quickened  too.  "Why  do  you  ask  ?  You 
didn't  see  such  a  man  as  you  describe  hanging  about 
there,  did  you?" 

Jane  nodded  and  told  him  briefly  of  the  incident  of 


PIETRO  141 

the  afternoon.  He  listened  quietly,  but  when  she  had 
finished  he  rose  and  began  to  pace  the  floor. 

"That  description  might  fit  any  one  of  twenty  men  on 
the  job,"  he  remarked  at  last.  "You  are  sure  he  is  one 
of  our  outfit?" 

"Oh,  yes.  He  has  been  in  the  store  half  a  dozen 
times  with  the  others  since  I  came,  and  I  think  I  have 
noticed  him  working  over  in  the  storage  yard." 

"One  of  the  bull  gang,  eh?  Would  you  know  him 
again  if  you  saw  him,  Miss  Peddar?" 

"Yes,  if  I  came  face  to  face  with  him  I  think  I 
should,  but  I  couldn't  possibly  point  him  out  from  among 
the  rest,"  Jane  responded  doubtfully.  "Of  course,  I  may 
have  been  unduly  suspicious  of  his  actions " 

"He  had  no  right  on  the  wharf,  whoever  he  was," 
Hoyt  declared.  "When  he  comes  into  the  store  again, 

get  his  name  if  you  can,  please.  I  wonder "  He 

eyed  her  quizzically.  "I  wonder  if  this  Mr.  MacLeod, 
who  has  your  references,  really  sent  you  up  here  just 
to  tend  store!" 

Jane  laughed  frankly. 

"He  was  rather  dubious  about  my  ability  to  do  even 
that  satisfactorily  after  my  rather  limited  previous  ex- 
perience, but  I  begged  so  hard  for  the  position  that  he 
finally  engaged  me." 

"Why  were  you  so  anxious  to  come?"  He  had  halted 
before  her,  but  after  one  flashing,  mischievous  glance 
she  averted  her  eyes. 

"To  see  what  it  was  like  up  here,  of  course,  and  then 
father  was  so  wild  to  get  to  Alaska  himself " 

A  deferential  cough  from  the  doorway  made  them  both 
turn.  Peddar  had  executed  his  mission. 


CHAPTER  XI 


THE  next  morning  when  Jane  came  down  Main 
Street  toward  the  store  in  time  for  the  seven 
o'clock  shift  she  noticed  idly  that  several  men 
seemed  to  be  patrolling  the  wharf,  but  her  thoughts  were 
busied  with  Pietro  and  his  plight,  and  she  gave  little 
heed. 

Jud  Pittinger  met  her  at  the  door  with  an  oddly  grim 
look  about  his  usually  smiling  mouth,  and  it  occurred 
to  her  that  his  ruddy  countenance  had  paled. 

"Has  anything  happened,  Mr.  Pittinger?"  she  asked. 

For  answer  he  took  her  arm  and  turning  her  around 
pointed  to  the  wharf. 

"You  see  them  men,  Miss  Jane?"  he  demanded. 

"Why,  of  course.     What  are  they  doing?" 

"Lockin'  the  stable  door!"  Jud  replied  cryptically. 
"Only  this  time  the  horse  wasn't  stole  first." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  Jane's  mind  flashed  back  to 
her  conversation  of  the  previous  night  with  the  en- 
gineer. 

"Them  rascals  was  layin'  to  blow  up  the  wharf,  same 
as  they  did  the  dynamite  shack  last  week,  that's  all!" 
Jud  retorted.  "Beats  all  tarnation  how  they  manage  to 
lay  their  wires  right  before  our  noses  and  no  one  gettin' 
on  to  'em,  but  last  night  Mr.  Hoyt  come  down  here  and 

142 


HARVE  DUGDALE  COUNTS  TEN  143 

found  'em  all  fixed  ready  to  attach  to  the  sticks.  Come 
dark,  or  what  passes  for  dark  up  here  between  one 
and  three,  and  they  would  have  finished  the  job  and 
touched  her  off,  as  sure  as  you're  born,  and  when  you 
come  down  this  mornin',  Miss  Jane,  me  and  the  store 
would' ve  been  out  in  the  middle  of  the  bay;  what  was 
left  of  us,  that  is." 

"But  the  watchman!"  Jane  stammered.  "Where  was 
he?" 

"Snorin'  like  a  bull  alongside  the  third  pocket.  Said 
he  only  took  one  nip  out  of  his  flask,  though  even  that 
ain't  allowable,  of  course,  and  just  keeled  over.  Looks 
like  he  was  tellin'  the  truth,  too,  for  when  the  Doc  ex- 
amined his  flask  there  wasn't  more'n  one  drink  gone  out 
of  it,  but  the  red-eye  that  was  left  was  doped  for  fair: 
somebody  must  have  got  at  it  in  the  bunk-house  and 
there  don't  any  Unatika  fellers  dast  poke  their  noses  in 
there." 

"One  of  our  own  men!"  Jane  exclaimed.  It  was  on 
the  tip  of  her  tongue  to  mention  the  one  she  had  seen 
skulking  about  on  the  previous  afternoon,  but  she  thought 
better  of  it.  Hoyt  had  known  and  he  had  not  taken 
the  loyal  but  garrulous  little  storekeeper  into  his  con- 
fidence. 

"I'd  like  to  get  my  hands  on  him !"  Jud  growled.  "It's 
bad  enough  to  have  a  bunch  of  ornery  coyotes  like  that 
other  gang  hangin'  around  to  run  us  out  of  town  with- 
out a  skunk  in  our  own  yard !  When  they  find  him  the 
boys  will  just  about  eat  him  alive !" 

Still  voicing  his  wrath,  he  turned  the  books  over  to 
his  assistant  and  went  to  the  mess-house  for  breakfast, 
and  when  the  morning  shift  changed  and  the  men  came 


144  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

drifting  in  for  tobacco  and  soap,  Jane  scrutinized  each 
face  carefully  as  she  waited  upon  them,  but  the  swarthy, 
sunken-eyed  lounger  of  the  wharf  did  not  put  in  an 
appearance. 

There  were  so  many  who  did  resemble  him,  however, 
that  she  despaired  more  than  ever  of  being  able  to  point 
him  out,  and  as  the  morning  wore  on  she  felt  a  sense 
of  dejection  and  discouragement  stealing  over  her.  To 
have  seen  the  man  and  not  be  able  to  identify  him  had 
not  been  of  much  service  to  Barney  Hoyt,  after  all,  or 
surely  he  would  have  come  in  to  tell  her  so,  no  matter 
how  busy  he  might  be.  All  unconsciously  she  watched 
the  door,  but  only  the  track  layers  and  road  builders  of 
the  last  shift  came  for  supplies,  and  when  Jud  relieved 
her  she  went  slowly  home  to  dinner  through  the  ever- 
lasting drizzle  with  a  sense  of  disappointment  which  she 
would  not  admit  even  to  herself. 

After  all,  she  was  only  masquerading  up  here.  In  a 
month  or  two,  if  the  road  went  through  she  would  go 
back  and  be  Janetta  Gildersleeve  once  more,  and  dance 
and  play  bridge  and  drive  her  car  and  forget  that  there 
was  such  a  hateful,  rainy,  lonesome  place  as  Katalak 
on  the  map !  Why  should  it  matter  to  her  whether  this 
young  engineer,  this  hireling  of  her  brother's,  came  to 
thank  her  for  warning  him  of  the  man  on  the  wharf  or 
not?  She  had  not  done  it  for  him,  thank  goodness,  but 
for  herself  and  Ollie,  to  protect  their  own  interests. 
Why  was  she  so  silly  as  to  bother  about  him  anyway? 

She  found  the  mid-day  meal  which  in  courtesy  they 
called  dinner  only  half  cooked,  and  Peddar  in  a  sadly 
agitated  condition. 


HARVE  DUGDALE  COUNTS  TEN          145 

"Oh,  miss,  there's  been  a  man  here  to  see  you,  a 
horrible  person,  if  you  don't  mind  my  saying  so." 

When  they  were  alone  together  Peddar  frequently  re- 
verted to  the  original  status  which  had  existed  between 
them  in  more  normal  days  and  although  the  girl  usually 
corrected  him  sharply  to  keep  him  in  practice  she  had 
not  the  heart  to  do  so  now  at  sight  of  his  perturbed 
face. 

"Who  was  it,  Peddar  ?  Don't  rattle  the  stove-lids  like 
that!" 

"I  don't  know,  miss,  but  he  said  he  was  a  friend  of 
yours,  and  he  asked  me  questions  that  I  wouldn't  have 
answered  if  I  could;  I'd  call  them  personal  even  up 
here,  miss."  Peddar's  tone  trembled  with  indignation. 
"As  for  the  stove-lids,  I'm  that  shaky  I  can  hardly  hold 
them !  He  came  in  and  sat  down  without  being  invited, 
and  when  he  saw  that  you  wasn't  here  and  he  couldn't 
get  anything  out  of  me — for  I  as  much  as  up  and  told 
him  to  go  at  last — he  turned  ugly." 

Jane  felt  an  odd  sinking  feeling  in  her  breast,  but  she 
would  not  for  worlds  have  let  Peddar  know  the  premoni- 
tion which  his  words  had  brought  to  her  mind. 

"What  did  he  look  like?"  she  asked. 

"Tall  and  dark  he  was,  with  horrid,  gleaming,  fishy 
eyes.  If  you  ask  me,  miss,  I  think  it  was  the  same  man 
who  came  and  sat  at  our  table  that  night  in  the  restaurant, 
the  first  night  we  arrived.  You  remember  him,  don't 
you,  miss?  I'm  quite  sure  he  couldn't  be  a  friend  of 
yours  though  you  have  made  some  up  here  as  would 
make  your  grandfather  turn  in  his  grave " 

Jane  sat  down  in  the  nearest  chair,  feeling  suddenly 
weak.  So  it  had  been  Malison!  He  had  dared  to  in- 


146  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

trude  upon  her  very  home,  dared  to  question  her  sup- 
posed father,  to  attempt  to  bully  an  old  man!  To  what 
lengths  would  he  not  go  in  his  annoyance  of  her?  But 
above  all  things  she  must  not  let  Peddar  know ;  she  could 
not  trust  him  not  to  fly  in  a  panic  to  Big  Jim  Bowers 
or  Barney  Hoyt  and  blurt  out  the  truth  about  them  both 
in  his  anxiety  to  protect  her. 

She  took  her  hat  off  and  flinging  it  on  the  couch  ran 
her  fingers  lightly  through  her  hair. 

"Oh,  you  must  surely  be  mistaken,  Peddar,"  she  said 
as  indifferently  as  she  could.  "I  don't  know  that  man. 
The  one  who  called  here  was  probably  someone  of  the 
outfit  whom  you  haven't  seen  before,  and  I  don't  believe 
he  meant  to  be  ugly;  that  was  just  his  way,  perhaps. 
You  know  when  we  first  came  you  thought  they  were 
all  brigands  and  cut-throats  at  the  very  least." 

"Barring  Mr.  Hoyt  and  the  superintendent  and  one 
or  two  more,  I've  seen  no  cause  to  change  my  opinion, 
miss,"  Peddar  retorted  with  dignity.  "But  this  man — 
ruffian,  I  should  call  him — was  the  worst  I  have  met 
since  we  came,  although  that  is  saying  a  great  deal.  He 
wanted  to  know  all  about  us;  where  we  came  from, 
and  why  we  came,  and  who  engaged  us  and  where  you 
had  worked  before.  It  was  when  he  wanted  to  know 
if  you  had  a — a  gentleman  friend,  miss,  that  I  hinted 
he  had  better  take  himself  off!" 

"Did  he,"  Jane  chose  her  words  with  care,  "did  he 
ask  anything  about  last  night?  About  our  bringing  that 
poor  Unatika  man  here  and  taking  care  of  him  after  he 
had  been  so  brutally  beaten?" 

"He  made  some  sort  of  a  joke  about  it,  but  I  was  so 
angry  and  worried  about  getting  rid  of  him  that  I  didn't 


HARVE  DUGDALE  COUNTS  TEN  147 

pay  any  attention."  Pedclar  flapped  a  thin  cloth  out 
and  laid  it  over  the  rough  table.  "I  suppose  that  other 
affair  is  all  over  town  by  now,  and  I  must  say  it  was 
a  very  unwise  thing  to  do,  although  Christian.  I  could 
have  got  some  men  from  one  of  those  cafes  and  had 
him  carried  off  and  saved  all  the  bother,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  scene  I  had  with  that  Mrs.  Heaney." 

"What  did  she  do?"  asked  Jane  absently,  glad  to  get 
his  mind  off  his  recent  visitor. 

"It  wasn't  so  much  what  she  did  as  what  she  said, 
miss."  Peddar's  face  went  suddenly  scarlet.  "Brazen, 
that's  what  she  is!  I  really  wouldn't  repeat  it,  but  to 

think  at  my  time  of  life "  He  broke  off  and  pulled 

out  a  chair  from  the  table.  "Dinner  is  served,  miss." 

Jane  smiled  in  spite  of  the  blank  terror  which  had 
turned  her  cold  at  the  incongruity  of  the  phrase  in  such 
surroundings. 

"You  are  forgetting,  father"  she  said  as  she  took  her 
seat  and  motioned  to  the  one  opposite.  "If  anyone 
should  come  to  the  door  now  and  see  you  waiting  upon 
me  what  would  they  think?" 

"I  shall  never  get  used  to  it !"  Peddar  declared  mourn- 
fully, as  he  obeyed.  "If  we  could  only  be  ourselves 
when  we  were  by  ourselves  I  shouldn't  take  it  so  hard, 
miss,  but  I  feel  as  if  your  grandfather's  cold  hand  was 
on  me  out  of  the  grave  every  time  I  sit  down  here  with 
you!  The  beans  are  a  trifle  burned,  I  am  afraid,  miss, 
but  if  you  will  try  a  bit  of  the  cold  ham  and  some 
potatoes " 

Jane  essayed  to  eat  but  the  food  choked  her.  Had 
Malison's  visit  been  a  mere  bluff  to  frighten  her,  or 
were  they  actually  not  safe  from  him  here  in  the  shack  ? 


148  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

They  were  far  from  any  other  habitation,  and  Peddar 
was  old.  She  had  seen  a  specimen  of  Malison's  brutality 
on  the  previous  day;  what  if  she  were  to  come  home 
from  the  store  some  time  to  find  poor  Peddar  like  that? 
What  if 

She  pushed  her  chair  back  and  rose. 

"I  can't  eat  any  more  and  I  must  hurry  back,"  she 
said.  "Mr.  Pittinger  asked  me  to  be  early  to-day.  Want 
any  supplies  from  town  for  supper?" 

"They've  nothing  there  that  we  haven't,  except  salmon, 
miss,  and  I  doubt  that  you'll  ever  be  able  to  look  one 
in  the  face  again."  Peddar  made  a  wry  grimace. 
"Thank  heavens  the  steamer  will  be  in  with  some  fresh 
meat  and  vegetables  in  a  day  or  two." 

Jane  forced  herself  to  walk  slowly  back,  but  when 
she  reached  the  cluster  of  buildings  which  bordered 
Main  Street  she  breathed  more  freely. 

Was  it  safe  to  leave  Peddar  alone  there  all  day? 
Were  they  safe  there  together  if  Malison  took  it  into 
his  head  to  annoy  them  with  his  presence?  Of  course, 
they  could  go  back  to  Ma  Heaney's,  but  the  thought  of 
acknowledging  that  the  man  had  frightened  them  from 
their  home  was  as  repugnant  as  the  change  itself  would 
be,  and  it  was  equally  distasteful  to  her  to  appeal  for 
help  from  any  of  the  outfit,  most  of  all  Barney  Hoyt. 

She  had  come  there  to  take  her  place  with  the  men 
as  far  as  possible  and  to  ask  no  favors  because  of  her 
sex;  must  she  admit  her  defeat  because  of  a  bullying 
ruffian  who  was  not  only  her  enemy  but  her  brother's, 
who  was  one  of  the  ringleaders  in  the  plot  to  drive  away 
the  Northern  Star  outfit  and  halt  the  road  to  the 
mine? 


HARVE  DUGDALE  COUNTS  TEN  149 

Jud  met  her  at  the  door  of  the  store  as  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  she  saw  that  this  time  he  held  a  long  string 
of  knotted  cigar  ribbons  in  his  hand. 

"Here,  Miss  Jane;  I  forgot  to  give  it  to  you  this 
mornin',  I  was  so  het  up  about  that  business  of  the 
wharf.  You  just  wear  it  around  your  neck  where  you 
can  get  at  it  in  a  hurry,  and  if  anyone  bothers  you, 
give  it  one  blast  and  see  what  happens.  I  told  the  boys 
to  listen  for  it  and  come  a-whoopin' !" 

A  brightly  polished  whistle  hung  from  the  end  of  the 
ribbon  and  Jane  accepted  it  thankfully. 

"It's  awfully  good  of  you,  Mr.  Pittinger."  She  slipped 
the  loop  over  her  head.  "I  don't  want  to  be  a  trouble 
to  you." 

"Ain't  a  mite  o'  trouble;  tickled  to  death  to  have  you 
here,"  Jud  declared  stoutly.  "Store's  been  like  a  dif- 
ferent place  since  you  come.  There's  one  good  thing 
about  that  there  whistle;  it's  got  a  different  toot  to  it 
than  any  other  in  town.  I  traded  two  of  these  here 
neckties  and  a  box  of  scented  soap  for  it  to  a  feller 
who's  goin'  home  from  up  country  on  the  next  steamer, 
and  it's  worth  it.  If  you  was  to  blow  this  nobody  would 
mistake  it  for  one  of  them  the  watchmen  carry." 

"Oh,  I'm  glad!"  Jane  exclaimed.  "I  wanted  to  ask 
you,  Mr.  Pittinger,  if  I  might  use  it  any  time;  when 
I'm  not  in  the  store,  I  mean?  Do  you  suppose  it  could 
be  heard  if  I  blew  it  as  loud  as  I  could  from — from 
home?" 

Jud's  smiling  face  changed. 

"What's  the  matter?"  he  demanded.  "Anyone  been 
botherin'  you  or  your  father  up  at  the  shack?" 

"No — o,"  she  temporized,  "but  we  live  so  far  from 


150  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

anyone  else,  and  father  isn't  young,  you  know.  I  thought 
it  would  be  so  nice  to  feel  that  we  could  get  help  if 
we  ever  really  needed  it,  though  I  don't  suppose  we 
ever  shall." 

"You  can  hear  that  whistle  half  a  mile,  especially  now 
that  the  steam  shovel  is  moving  off  along  the  road  a 
piece,"  Jud  responded,  but  there  was  a  curiously  set 
look  about  his  mouth  and  he  eyed  her  keenly.  "Just 
you  cut  loose  on  that  once,  and  you'll  have  the  whole 
outfit  at  your  door  before  you  could  say  'shoo'  to  a 
yearling  shorthorn!  I  got  to  see  Harve  Dugdale  about 
somethin'  I  forgot.  I'll  be  back  soon." 

His  precipitate  departure  might  have  caused  Jane  a 
moment  of  surprise  at  any  other  time,  but  she  was  still 
too  perturbed  over  Malison's  visit  to  give  any  thought 
to  it.  As  she  went  about  her  task  of  rearranging  the 
stock  her  hands  unconsciously  went  more  than  once  to 
her  breast  where  the  whistle  hung  concealed;  at  least  if 
the  need  arose  for  its  use  help  would  come. 

She  was  stooping  beneath  the  counter  removing  the 
litter  which  the  storekeeper  habitually  left  in  his  wake 
when  the  voice  for  which  she  had  unconsciously  waited 
all  the  morning  sounded  from  the  doorway. 

"Anybody  keeping  store?" 

Jane's  face,  flushed  from  her  exertions,  rose  precipi- 
tately to  view. 

"Oh,"  she  remarked,  "it's  you !" 

"I  couldn't  come  before."  Hoyt  advanced  to  the 
counter  and  Jane  saw  that  there  was  a  worn,  weary  look 
about  his  brown  eyes.  "I  tried  to  find  an  opportunity 
all  the  morning  but  I  had  to  stick  on  the  job  with  the 


HARVE  DUGDALE  COUNTS  TEN          151 

clearing  gang.  Do  you  know  what  you  did  last  night? 
You  saved  the  wharf!" 

"Not  I!"  Jane  smiled.  "It  was  you;  I  heard  how 
you  found  the  wires  that  had  been  laid  to  blow  it  up." 

"But  I  should  never  have  gone  near  the  wharf  if  you 
had  not  warned  me.  It  isn't  only  what  you  have  done 
for  the  Company  but  what  this  means  personally  to  me 
that  I  have  come  to  try  to  express  my  gratitude  for. 
My  reputation  was  at  stake  in  this;  if  they  had  suc- 
ceeded in  demolishing  the  work  of  weeks  and  months — < 
for  the  storage  yard  would  have  gone  up,  too — I  would 
have  been  responsible." 

"That  is  ridiculous!"  Jane  cried  with  unguarded 
warmth.  "The  Company  knew  before  they  sent  you  up 
here  what  odds  you  would  have  to  fight  against,  and 
they  could  not  expect  you  to  be  everywhere  at  once  and 
guard  the  completed  work  as  well  as  supervise  the  road 
building!  I  don't  believe  you  have  had  an  hour's  sleep 
in  the  last  thirty-six !  You  look  simply  tired  out !" 

The  last  observation  burst  involuntarily  from  her  lips 
but  he  waved  it  aside  with  a  gesture. 

"How  do  you  know  what  the  Company  expects  of  me 
and  what  responsibilities  I  assumed  in  the  way  of  trouble 
when  I  took  the  job?"  he  asked  with  his  customary  dis- 
concerting directness. 

"Why — Mr.  Pittinger  told  me,"  Jane  stammered. 
"There  was  trouble  from  the  Unatika  outfit  before  you 
came,  when  the  first  engineer  was  here.  Do  you  think 
that  the  man  I  saw  yesterday  was  actually  laying  those 
wires  ?" 

"Or  keeping  guard  for  a  confederate,"  Hoyt  replied. 
"I'm  having  every  Slav  in  the  outfit  watched,  but  it  is 


152  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

bad  business  for  it  is  bound  to  create  disaffection  among 
the  men.  It  is  more  than  ever  imperative  that  we  find 
the  one  who  has  been  selling  us  out,  of  course,  and  I 
know  I  need  not  ask  you  to  keep  a  sharp  look-out  for 
him.  You  are  the  only  one  with  a  chance  of  identifying 
him,  Miss  Peddar,  and  everything  depends  upon  you 
now.  When  I  send  in  my  report  to  the  Company  I  shall 
see  that  you  get  full  credit  for  what  you  have  done." 

"Oh,  for  goodness'  sake,  don't  do  that!"  Jane  ex- 
claimed in  alarm.  "I  didn't  do  anything,  I  just  h — hap- 
pened to  see  that  man  and  he  may  have  had  nothing 
to  do  with  the  attempt  to  destroy  the  wharf!  I  don't 
want  any  credit,  I  don't  want  to  be  mentioned  at  all!" 

"Why?" 

Jane  was  aware  that  the  young  engineer  was  regarding 
her  steadily  and  a  measure  of  caution  returned  to  her, 
but  her  heart  was  filled  with  dismay.  That  report  would 
go  to  Andrew  Geddes  and  the  name  "Jane  Peddar"  would 
reveal  everything  to  him !  He  would  wire  Hoyt  to  send 
her  home;  he  might  even  come  after  her  himself  in  the 
fullness  of  his  anxiety  and  wrath  at  the  trick  she  had 
played  upon  him,  and  he  would  most  assuredly  cable 
to  Ollie  and  cause  him  boundless  worry.  Whatever  hap- 
pened, that  report  must  not  go  in! 

"Because  I — I  know  Mr.  MacLeod,  the  man  who  en- 
gaged me,  and  you  don't — at  least  I  don't  think  you 
do !"  she  floundered  desperately.  "He's  a  very  hard  man 
and  he  told  me  specifically  when  I  came  up  here  what 
my  duties  were  to  be  and  that  I  was  not  to  overstep 
them." 

"But  that  is  nonsense "  Hoyt  began. 

"It  isn't!    Mr.  Hoyt,  if  I  do  my  work  satisfactorily 


HARVE  DUGDALE  COUNTS  TEN  153 

here  in  the  store  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  mention  me 
at  all,  will  it?  You  came  in  here  to  thank  me  for  a 
favor  which  I  was  able  by  sheer  accident  to  do  for 
you ;  will  you  grant  me  one  now  ?  Please  do  not  mention 
me  in  your  report.  If  you  do  I  am  certain  to  be  recalled 
and  I  do  so  want  to  stay  and  see  the  road  go  through !" 

The  note  of  absolute  sincerity  which  rang  through  her 
tones  added  to  the  bewilderment  of  the  young  engineer 
and  he  could  only  gaze  helplessly  at  her.  After  a  long 
moment  he  said  quietly: 

"It  is  rather  irregular,  you  know,  and  I  don't  pretend 
to  understand,  but  if  you  put  it  that  way  of  course  I 
must  do  as  you  ask,  Miss  Peddar.  I  merely  wished  to 
give  you  your  due  credit  in  the  eyes  of  the  Company, 
but  if  you  don't  want  it  that  is  your  own  affair.  Why 
you  should  be  recalled  for  rendering  them  a  service  is 
beyond  my  comprehension,  but  I  do  not  want  that  to 
happen  above  all  things.  Your  being  up  here  has  made 
a  difference  in  everything.  I — I  can't  tell  you " 

He  broke  off  suddenly  and  pulled  up  the  collar  of  his 
rubber  coat. 

"I  must  get  back  to  the  clearing  gang.  I'll  keep  my 
word  to  you,  Miss  Peddar;  you  shan't  be  mentioned  in 
the  report,  and — thank  you  for  what  you  did  last  night." 

He  was  gone,  and  Jane  sank  down  on  a  low  stool 
behind  the  counter.  What  a  narrow  escape!  The  pos- 
sible danger  of  a  report  going  in  to  Andrew  Geddes  with 
her  own  name  and  Peddar's  involved  had  never  oc- 
curred to  her,  and  she  felt  limp  with  the  reaction  from 
her  sudden  scare.  She  must  guard  against  that  possible 
contingency  in  future,  whatever  Barney  Hoyt  came  to 


154  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

think  of  her.  At  least  he  must  be  sure  of  her  loyalty, 
and  that  was  some  comfort. 

"So  it's  you  and  your  damned  supe,  is  it?" 

A  thick,  sneering  voice  came  on  a  whiff  of  brandy  to 
assail  her  senses  and  Jane  looked  up  hastily  and  then 
shrank  back,  one  hand  flying  instinctively  to  the  ribbon 
about  her  neck.  Malison,  obviously  drunk,  stood  before 
her. 

"That's  why  you  turned  me  down,  is  it?"  he  went 
on  while  she  sat  stunned.  "Well,  I'll  show  you  and  him, 
too " 

Jane's  hand  came  down  to  her  side  and  she  rose. 

"Mr.  Malison,"  she  said  very  distinctly,  "you  have  no 
right  in  this  store.  Leave  it  at  once." 

"I'll  leave  when  I  get  good  and  ready  and  not  before !" 
He  came  close  to  her,  but  she  did  not  flinch.  "So  you 
know  who  I  am,  eh?  Pietro  told  you  that,  I  suppose! 
Well,  he's  got  more  coming  to  him  for  that " 

"Pietro  told  me  nothing,"  Jane  interrupted,  still  in  an 
even  tone.  "I  knew  you  from  the  start,  and  I  warn 
you  that  if  you  come  here  or  go  to  my  home  again  and 
annoy  my  father  and  me  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you. 
Now  go." 

"I'll  go  where  I  please  in  this  man's  town  and  no  one 
can  stop  me!"  His  furious,  inflamed  face  was  within  a 
few  inches  of  hers  across  the  counter.  "You  thought 
you  knew  me,  but  you'll  know  me  a  damn  sight  better 
before  you're  through,  you  little " 

He  never  finished  the  sentence.  Just  as  Jane's  hand 
was  stealing  again  to  the  whistle  a  long,  lanky  figure 
precipitated  itself  through  the  doorway,  whirled  him 


155 

around  and  planted  a  huge  fist  with  methodical  precision 
upon  his  jaw. 

Malison  sprawled  his  length  on  the  floor,  and  it  seemed 
to  Jane  that  in  an  instant  the  store  was  filled  with  men. 
She  shrank  back  as  Harve  Dugdale  bent  jeeringly  over 
the  prostrate  bully. 

"Get  up  and  put  up  your  hands,  you  white-livered 
dog!"  he  cried.  "Women  and  poor  little  Dago  runts, 

that's  about  your  meat,  is  it?  Get  up you, 

or  I'll  pull  you  up!" 

The  men  crowded  about  expectantly,  but  Malison  only 
cringed  and  tried  to  drag  himself  to  the  shelter*  of  the 
counter. 

"You  won't,  eh?"  Harve  straightened.  "Look  here, 

boys,  this don't  show  himself  in  town 

again,  understand?"  A  rising  murmur  of  assent  came 
from  the  crowd.  "If  he  does  you'll  know  how  to  pick  a 
fight  that  the  marshal  can't  kick  at  and  anything  goes 
from  rocks  to  gats!  Clear  the  way  to  the  door!" 

They  shuffled  hastily  into  two  separate  lines,  leaving 
a  narrow  lane  between,  and  Harve  bent  once  more  over 
Malison. 

"I'm  going  to  start  you  on  your  way  now,  and  count 
'ten/  If  there's  hide  or  hair  of  you  in  sight  when  I 
finish  I'll  set  the  boys  on  you !" 

Malison  whimpered,  but  Harve  seized  him  by  the 
collar,  dragged  him  to  the  door  and  with  a  well-placed 
kick  sent  him  tumbling  out  into  the  middle  of  the 
street. 

"One,"  began  Harve.  The  men  crowded  to  the  door, 
shutting  out  Jane's  view  of  what  was^  going  on  outside. 
"Two — three — four — five — I  thought  you  would,  


156  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

you! — six — seven — eight — nine — ten!  Look  at  him 
plowin'  up  the  mud,  boys!" 

A  storm  of  growls  and  jeers  burst  from  the  men  and 
followed  the  fleeing  fugitive  up  the  street  as  Harve  turned 
with  a  trace  of  sheepishness  to  Jane. 

"Too  bad  to  muss  up  your  store  like  this,  Miss  Jane." 
He  paused  and  added :  "And  I'm  damn  sorry  I  swore !" 


CHAPTER  XII 
AN  UNEXPECTED  ARRIVAL 

"TIT  THEN  Jane  neared  the  shack  that  evening  at 
\/\/  suppertime  an  unusually  appetizing  odor  of 
good  things  drifted  out  to  her,  mingling  with 
the  low-hanging  smoke  from  the  chimney,  and  she  en- 
tered to  find  Peddar  seated  in  a  corner  with  a  scandal- 
ized look  upon  his  face  while  a  stout,  uncorseted  figure 
turned  from  the  stove  and  greeted  her  with  the  wave  of 
a  pancake  turner. 

"Hello,  dearie !"  Ma  Heaney  called  cordially.  "Kinder 
thought  you'd  be  along  home  soon.  I  come  up  to  give 
you  and  your  Pa  a  decent  meal." 

"That's  very  kind  of  you."  Jane  spoke  in  all  sin- 
cerity. "Father  has  never  done  any  cooking  before,  and 
I — I  cannot  seem  to  find  time " 

"I  guess  you  ain't  any  too  used  to  it,  either,"  Ma 
Heaney  interrupted  her  with  a  shrewd,  kindly  glance. 
"Just  you.  set 'down,  and  I'll  have  this  grub  ready  in  no 
time.  Say,  that  was  a  grand  little  battle  while  it  lasted, 
wasn't  it?" 

Jane  motioned  frantically  from  behind  Peddar's  back, 
but  her  self-invited  guest  was  oblivious. 

"I  was  scrapin'  the  mud  off  my  steps  this  afternoon 
when  I  see  that  Malison  come  flyin'  out  o'  your  store 
door  and  land  in  the  middle  of  the  street  on  the  back 


158  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

of  his  neck,"  Ma  Heaney  continued.  "Then  Harve 
showed  himself  and  Malison  got  up  and  went  kitin' 
down  street  and  made  for  the  hills  like  a  dog  with  a 
tin  can  tied  to  him!  Some  of  the  boys  told  me  about 
it  afterwards,  but  how  did  it  start,  dearie?" 

"A  fight  in — in  the  store?"  Peddar  quavered.  "Were 
you  there?" 

He  turned  horrified  eyes  on  the  girl  and  she  smiled 
reassuringly. 

"It  wasn't  much  of  a  fight,  father.  Mr.  Malison  came 
in  and  of  course  he  had  no  business  there,  being  a  Una- 
tika  man,  so  Mr.  Dugdale  put  him  out." 

"I  should  think  he  did!"  ejaculated  the  irrepressible 
Ma  Heaney.  "He's  been  run  out  of  town  and  I  guess 
you  don't  know  what  that  means  in  a  place  like  this. 
It  means  that  if  he  shows  his  face  here  again  he'll  get 
drilled  full  of  holes,  and  a  good  thing,  too !" 

"They'll  k— kill  him?"  gasped  Peddar. 

"Deader'n  Daniel's  cat,  but  he'll  take  no  chances  un- 
less he  comes  back  with  his  whole  gang  for  a  clean-up." 
Ma  Heaney  slammed  the  oven  door  with  a  clang.  "Etta 
Carney's  cuttin'  up  somethin'  terrible.  If  I  was  you 
I'd  keep  out  of  her  way  for  a  day  or  tv/o,  Miss  Jane." 

"  'Etta  Carney  ?'  "  Jane  repeated. 

"Sure.  You  remember  I  told  you  about  her.  She  was 
Hugh  Malison's  girl,  and  although  he  was  tired  of  her 
before  ever  you  come  to  Katalak,  she  just  naterally 
blames  you  for  what  happened  this  afternoon ;  the  whole 
town  knows  by  now  why  he's  been  sneakin'  into  your 
company  store." 

"Do  you  mean "  Jane  drew  herself  up  to  all  her 

slim  height.  "Do  you  mean  that  / — : — " 


AN  UNEXPECTED  ARRIVAL  159 

"Of  course  not,  dearie!"  Ma  Heaney  patted  her 
shoulder  soothingly  with  one  greasy  hand.  "But  you 
can't  stop  a  man  like  Malison  from  lookin',  unless  you 
run  him  out  of  town  like  the  boys  done." 

"A  fight!  You,  to  be  mixed  up  in  a.fight!"  Peddar 
had  been  fortunately  oblivious  to  the  latter  part  of  the 
conversation.  "I'm  sure  I  don't  know  whatever  will 
happen  next,  but  that  store  is  no  place  for  you,  and  I 
shall  certainly  write " 

"Now,  father!"  Jane  cried,  "I  wasn't  mixed  up  in 
it,  I  tell  you !  I  was  behind  the  counter  all  the  time, 
and  it  happened  so  quickly  that  I  scarcely  saw  it.  Please 
don't  let  us  discuss  it  any  more.  Mrs.  Heaney,  how  is 
Pietro?" 

"That  Eyetalian  that  Malison  beat  up?  Oh,  he's  all 
right,  though  banged  up  some.  He  went  back  to  his 
own  outfit  to-day.  I  never  would  have  took  him  in  at 
all,  only  it  was  your  Pa  that  asked  it  of  me."  Ma 
Heaney  turned  a  beaming  eye  on  Peddar,  who  shud- 
dered. "When  I  like  folks  I'm  just  naterally  wax  in 
their  hands,  and  can't  say  'no.'  I  s'pose  that's  why 
I've  buried  three  husbands.  Well,  supper's  ready." 

"You  don't  like  the  Unatika  outfit,  do  you,  Mrs. 
Heaney?"  Jane  asked  as  they  took  their  places  at  the 
table. 

"Not  so  as  it's  noticeable!"  Her  wide,  good-natured 
mouth  set  grimly.  "I  had  'em  when  they  first  come, 
and  a  wilder,  tougher  lot  I  never  see!  Not  that  that 
bothers  me,  for  I've  lived  through  four  gold  rushes  in 
my  time,  but  when  they  tried  to  cheat  me  out  of  what 
was  comin'  to  me  I  threw  the  whole  lot  out,  and  they 
had  to  shift  for  themselves  until  they  got  their  bunk- 


160  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

houses  built,  back  there  in  the  foothills  a  ways.  They're 
a  bad  crowd  and  Malison's  one  of  the  worst  of  'em. 
I  thought  he  meant  trouble  when  he  came  out  here  this 
mornin',  but  I  guess  your  Pa  knew  how  to  handle  him; 
them  kind  truckle  down  to  a  real  gentleman  every  time." 

"Came  here !"  Peddar  dropped  his  fork.  "Did  you 
say  that  this  person  came  here,  ma'am?" 

"Well,  nobody  lives  beyond  you,  and  I  don't  know 
who  else  he  could  have  come  out  to  see,"  she  remarked. 
"Lew  Nagel,  who  tends  bar  at  the  Happy  Days,  said 
he  saw  him  comin'  from  here  this  mornin'  and  I  thought 
maybe  he  had  been  out  to  raise  ructions  about  your 
takin'  that  Pietro  in." 

"That  was  Malison!"  Peddar  wiped  his  trembling 
chin  and  pushed  back  his  chair.  "If  I  had  known  it,  I 
should  have  dropped  dead  here  before  him !  It's  a  wonder 
he  didn't  serve  me  as  he  did  that  Pietro !  And  you  said 
you  didn't  know  who  it  could  have  been !"  He  turned 
to  Jane.  "I  told  you  he  looked  like  the  man  in  the 
restaurant  the  night  we  arrived." 

"It  never  occurred  to  me  that  it  could  really  have 
been  he,"  Jane  evaded.  "However,  it  doesn't  matter 
now;  we  shall  not  be  troubled  with  him  again." 

"Unless  he  gets  the  whole  gang  back  of  him  and  starts 
something  in  the  open  against  the  Northern  Star  outfit," 
remarked  Ma  Heaney.  "I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  he 
did  now,  with  or  without  orders  from  his  own  company, 
but  I  guess  Mr.  Hoyt " 

"Oh!"  Jane  rose  as  a  low  knock  sounded  upon  the 
door  and  opened  it.  "Come  in,  Mr.  Hoyt.  Mrs.  Heaney 
was  just  speaking  of  you." 

"Thanks.    You  do  look  cozy.    No."    The  visitor  shook 


AN  UNEXPECTED  ARRIVAL  161 

his  head  smilingly  as  Ma  Heaney  started  to  set  another 
place  at  the  table.  "I've  had  my  supper.  I  just  dropped 
in  to  see  if  Miss  Peddar  would  care  to  come  and  see 
how  the  road  is  progressing." 

"Run  right  along,  dearie,"  Ma  Heaney  cried  before 
the  girl  could  speak.  "Your  Pa  and  I  can  clean  up  in 
no  time,  and  you're  cooped  up  all  day  in  that  store.  I 
was  just  sayin'  that  I  thought  you  could  handle  Hugh 
Malison  if  he  starts  something  openly  against  your  outfit 
after  what  happened  to  him  to-day.  You  heard  about 
it,  Mr.  Hoyt?" 

The  engineer  nodded. 

"It  was  coming  to  him,  Mrs.  Heaney.  Harve  Dug- 
dale  acted  without  authority,  but  he  and  the  boys  did 
exactly  the  right  thing.  I  was  sorry  to  learn  that  you 
had  been  subjected  to  such  annoyance,  Miss  Peddar " 

"That  was  one  of  the  chances  I  took  when  father  and 
I  decided  to  come  up  here,  you  know,"  Jane  responded 
lightly  as  she  slipped  into  her  coat.  "I  didn't  mind, 
really,  and  Harve  Dugdale  was  splendid !  I — I  wouldn't 
have  missed  it  for  worlds!" 

He  smiled  at  her  as  they  left  the  shack  and  Peddar 
to  the  tender  mercies  of  Ma  Heaney,  and  started  down 
the  rain-soaked  plank  walk. 

"I  didn't  know  that  you  were  such  a  boodthirsty  young 
woman,"  he  said. 

"I  didn't,  either!  I  never  saw  a  fight  before,"  Jane 
confessed  with  a  laugh,  and  then  her  face  sobered.  "I 
feel  as  bloodthirsty  as  a  savage  when  I  think  of  the 
Unatika  people!  If  they  only  would  come  out  in  the 
open  and  fight  fairly  one  would  have  more  respect  for 
them,  but  this  way  of  striking  in  the  dark  is  abominable ! 


162  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

It  makes  one  almost  want  to  descend  to  their  level  and 
hit  back." 

"When  the  time  comes,  perhaps  we  shall."  Hoyt's 
expression,  too,  had  grown  stern.  "They  are  getting 
their  own  storage  yard  ready  a  mile  or  so  beyond  the 
other  breakwater  and  that  means  that  they  will  begin 
soon  to  assemble  the  material  for  their  road;  perhaps 
the  first  consignment  may  get  in  on  the  steamer  which 
is  due  to-morrow.  When  it  comes  I  shall  know  whether 
or  not  a  certain  suspicion  of  mine  is  founded  on  fact." 

Jane  glanced  up  at  him  quickly. 

"You  mean?" 

"That  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  the  road  they  hope 
to  build  would  be  of  the  most  temporary  character,  just 
stable  enough  for  them  to  claim  the  right  of  way  if  they 
succeed  in  laying  their  rails,"  he  replied.  "If  they  can 
run  a  single  engine  and  flat  car  over  it  for  three  months, 
I  have  an  idea  that  it  will  be  the  limit  of  their  road's 
endurance." 

"Oh !"  Jane  exclaimed  indignantly.  "They  hope  to 
run  the  Northern  Star  out  in  that  time  and  get  your 
road  as  well  as  the  mine?" 

"Possibly,  but  I  suspect  that  if  they  should  succeed 
in  gaining  possession  of  the  Northern  Star  mine  the 
operations  on  the  Unatika  itself  would  be  suspended 
indefinitely.  I  have  been  hearing  some  queer  rumors 
about  the  value  of  their  mine.  I  should  not  speak  of 
it  to  anyone  else,  and  I  don't  know  why  I  am  telling 
this  to  you  now,  Miss  Peddar,"  he  added.  "I  haven't 
any  proof  yet,  but  the  Unatika  haven't  tried  to  float  any 
stock,  and  from  all  one  can  see  they  have  barely 
scratched  the  ground.  Their  mine  may  be  worthless; 


AN  UNEXPECTED  ARRIVAL  163 

their  claim  merely  a  blind  to  give  them  an  excuse  to 
gain  possession  of  the  right  of  way,  and  buy  in  the 
Northern  Star  at  a  dead  loss  to  our  company." 

"You  have  no  idea  who  the  owners  of  the  Unatika 
are?"  Jane  asked. 

"No  more  than  I  have  as  to  whom  I  am  really  work- 
ing for  myself,"  responded  Hoyt.  "Our  own  company 
is  as  much  under  cover  as  the  other  outfit." 

"Did  Mr.  MacLeod  engage  you,  too?"  Jane  spoke 
on  a  sly  impulse. 

Hoyt  shook  his  head. 

"It  was  someone  else;  an  agent,  I  believe."  His  tone 
was  carelessly  noncommital.  "I  know  we're  on  the  level, 
though;  know  it  from  the  instructions  which  were  given 
to  me,  from  the  very  way  the  whole  proposition  was 
put  into  my  hands.  If  I  hadn't  assured  myself  of  that 
I  wouldn't  be  here,  and  now  that  I  am  here  I'm  going 
to  put  the  road  through  in  spite  of  the  Unatika  outfit." 

"I'm  sure  you  will !"  Jane  cried.  "I  only  wish  that 
I  were  a  man  so  that  I  might  help  more,  too!" 

"But  you  are  helping.  With  your  influence,  the  ex- 
ample of  your  spirit  you  are  worth  any  three  men  in 
the  outfit."  Hoyt's  tones  were  lowered  and  insensibly 
he  had  drawn  closer  to  her  side  on  the  narrow  walk. 
"The  boys  regarded  you  with  a  wondering  sort  of  re- 
spect for  coming  up  here,  but  they  worship  you  now 
for  your  pluck  and  friendliness  and  cheerful  comrade- 
ship. They  may  be  an  ignorant,  rough  lot  for  the  most 
part,  but  they  can  recognize  the  difference  between  you 
and  the  sort  of  woman  one  would  expect  to  find  in  a 
job  like  yours  as  quickly  as  I  can.  You  have  slipped 
into  the  life  here  with  wonderful  ease  in  a  way,  and 


i64  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

yet  it  isn't  your  sort  of  life,  nor  anything  like  what 
you  have  been  accustomed  to;  anyone  can  see  that." 

"Well,  I've  always  lived  in  civilization,  you  know," 
Jane  parried.  "You — you're  sort  of  an  anomaly,  too, 
Mr.  Hoyt.  You  pride  yourself  on  belonging  to  the 
working  classes — to  us,  I  mean — and  yet  I  don't  think 
you  do  really,  or  at  least  you  haven't  always.  But  I 
forgot !  One  mustn't  be  personal  in  Alaska,  must  one  ?" 

"I  have  always  worked,"  the  engineer  replied  slowly, 
ignoring  the  latter  part  of  her  speech.  "A  construction 
man  on  a  job  of  this  sort  must  eat  and  sleep  and  work 
and  live  with  his  outfit,  and  he's  got  to  get  under  the 
skin  to  know  them.  But  a  woman — especially  a  woman 
like  you — on  this  job  you've  tackled,  is  up  against  a 
more  difficult  proposition  than  I  think  you  realize  even 
yet.  I  feel  in  a  way  responsible  for  you " 

"So  do  all  the  boys,  it  seems!"  Jane  said  hastily. 
"And  they  are  such  dears!  See  what  Mr.  Pittinger 
gave  me  to-day." 

She  pulled  out  the  whistle  and  told  him  how  it  came 
to  be  in  her  possession,  and  he  listened  with  a  very 
grave  face. 

"I  think  I  understand  the  motive  behind  that  order 
from  headquarters  to  sell  those  goods  below  cost  to 
anyone  who  came  into  the  store,  but  you  should  never 
for  instant  have  been  subjected  to  the  insults  of  a  man 
like  Malison,"  Hoyt  remarked.  "If  you  had  come  to 
me  or  Jim  Bowers " 

"But  don't  you  see,  I  didn't  want  to  go  to  anyone," 
explained  Jane.  "If  I  could  not  take  care  of  myself  I 
had  no  business  to  come  up  here  at  all,  but  I  am  grateful 
for  the  kindness  and  protection  of  Mr.  Pittinger  and 


AN  UNEXPECTED  ARRIVAL  165 

all  of  you!  Somehow,  I  don't  feel  nearly  as  independent 
as  I  did  when  I  came.  I  am  not  a  bit  afraid  of  the 
future,  but  I  think  I  must  have  been  at  that  time  and 
my  attitude  was  just  sheer  bravado !  Now  I — I'm  glad 
of  the  friends  I've  made  and  the  feeling  that  I  am  one 
with  you  all.  I  never  thought  that  men  like  these " 

She  stopped  in  some  confusion,  but  Hoyt  finished  for 
her. 

"You  never  thought  they  would  be  chivalrous  and 
protective  toward  a  good  woman?  Perhaps  that's  be- 
cause you  never  thought  about  them  at  all,  Miss  Peddar. 
You've  never  come  into  direct  contact  with  them  be- 
fore." 

"With  working  people,  of  course,  but  not  just  this 
kind,"  Jane  amended  lamely.  "I'm  learning  a  lot,  Mr. 
Hoyt." 

"And  we  are  learning  from  you."  His  voice  trembled 
slightly.  "We  are  learning  what  a  real  woman's  in- 
fluence means,  and  that  there  is  a  girl  in  the  world 
like  you,  plucky  and  staunch  and  truehearted,  makes  it 
a  better  place  to  live  in  even  here." 

Jane  gasped  and  stole  a  second  shy  glance  at  him, 
but  his  face  was  deeply  serious  and  for  the  first  time 
she  noted  a  look  of  repressed  bitterness  about  his  clean- 
cut  mouth  as  though  with  his  words  had  come»  a  flash 
of  some  reminiscent  thought  which  was  not  without  pain. 
More  than  ever  she  longed  to  know  his  story,  but  she 
dared  not  probe  for  it  now. 

"I'm  not  all  that,  I  am  afraid,"  she  responded  quietly. 
"I'm  just  a  girl  trying  to  earn  my  living  in  rather 
unusual  surroundings  and  to  make  the  best  of  them. 
Q — oh!  The  road!  The  railroad  at  last!" 


166  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

They  had  long  since  left  the  plank  walk  behind  them 
and,  plowing  through  the  mud,  had  come  to  the  place 
where  he  had  brought  her  on  the  occasion  of  their  first 
walk  together  nearly  a  fortnight  before.  The  double 
row  of  stakes  which  she  had  seen  had  given  way  to  a 
hardpacked  straight  path  crossed  with  the  raw  new 
spruce  ties  upon  which  lay  gleaming  lengths  of  rails 
waiting  to  be  spaced  and  spoked  into  place,  the  fish- 
plates already  bolted  over  the  connecting  ends.  The 
single-track  railroad  was  indeed  assuming  form  and  a 
semblance  of  reality.  The  miracle  was  at  hand ! 

"It  will  be,  in  a  few  months,"  Hoyt  replied,  as  much 
to  her  unspdken  thought  as  to  her  exclamation.  "Ordi- 
narily it  would  take  three  months  to  complete  the  first  five 
miles,  but  I'm  running  three  shifts  and  putting  on  all  the 
pressure  I  can  and  in  another  month  we'll  be  up  to  the 
glacier  bed  there  in  the  foothills.  We'll  have  to  trestle 
that,  but  afterwards  it  will  be  plain  sailing  as  far  as 
the  Unatika  people  are  concerned.  If  we  can  get  the 
road  across  that  glacier  bed  it  will  be  too  late  for  them 
to  interfere  further  and  the  race  will  be  practically  run." 

"In  another  month!  And  you  say  that  they  haven't 
even  got  their  materials  assembled  yet  ?"  Jane  demanded. 
"Why,  they  haven't  a  chance,  have  they?" 

"Not  unless  they  hamper  us  still  more  and  bring  down 
some  disaster  upon  us  that  we  cannot  avert,"  replied 
her  companion.  "They  know  that  as  well  as  we  do, 
and  the  next  month  will  be  the  crucial  one." 

"What  is  that  thing  up  there  with  the  long  boom 
sticking  out  of  it,  just  beyond  where  the  rails  stop?" 
Jane  pointed  in  fine  disregard  of  the  manners  of  the 
past. 


AN  UNEXPECTED  ARRIVAL  167 

"That  is  the  steam  shovel.  It  is  idle  now,  but  to- 
morrow I  am  going  to  run  a  flat  car,  the  first  over  the 
line,  as  far  as  the  rails  have  been  spiked  into  place 
and  clear  out  that  pile  of  mud  and  gravel  the  clearing 
gang  have  left  behind  them " 

He  paused  as  a  slouching  figure  appeared  up  the  track 
and  slowly  approached.  At  the  next  moment  the  figure 
halted,  stood  for  a  short  space  irresolutely,  and  then 
came  on. 

"Who  is  it?  The  watchman?"  Jane's  tone  had  quick- 
ened. "He  came  from  around  the  boom  of  the  steam 
shovel." 

"No,  and  I'd  like  to  know  why  he's  off  his  job!" 
Hoyt  exclaimed.  "The  rest  of  the  clearing  gang  are 
working  up  beyond.  Oh,  it's  Mirko.  He's  not  on  in 
this  shift.  He's  a  lazy  fellow;  wonder  what  he  has 
shown  up  for  during  his  time  off?" 

The  man  neared  them  and  would  have  passed  with 
a  surly  nod  but  the  engineer  drew  him  to  one  side  for 
a  moment.  After  a  low-toned  colloquy  the  man  went 
on,  but  Jane's  eyes  followed  him  as  long  as  he  was  in 
sight. 

"He  had  lost  something  and  came  back  to  look  for 
it,"  Hoyt  rejoined  her.  "As  near  as  I  could  make  out 
it  was  one  of  those  little  sacred  images  they  carry  about 
with  them  as  a  sort  of  mascot.  These  Russians  are 
more  superstitious  than  negroes." 

"If  I  were  you  I  would  look  for  that  little  sacred 
image  myself,  Mr.  Hoyt,"  observed  Jane  quickly.  "That 
is  the  man  I  saw  lurking  about  the  wharf  just  before 
you  found  the  wires  set  for  the  explosion!" 

"You  are  positive  of  it?"  he  asked  eagerly. 


i68  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

"Absolutely !  I  could  not  be  mistaken ;  I  have  watched 
for  his  face  all  day  in  the  store,  and  I  know  that  I  am 
right.  His  walk,  his  manner,  everything  is  the  same, 
and  I  could  not  forget  his  sunken,  close-set  eyes." 

"Then  there  is  work  for  me  to  do  here  without  a 
minute's  delay.  Miss  Peddar,  do  you  mind  going  home 
by  yourself?  You'll  be  quite  safe " 

"Of  course,  I  don't  mind!"  Jane  held  out  her  hand. 
"You'll  come  and  tell  me  to-morrow  if  he  has  been  up 
to  any  further  mischief,  won't  you?" 

Hoyt  promised  and,  shaking  hands  with  her,  strode  off 
rapidly  down  the  newly  made  track.  Jane  watched  him 
until  his  figure  had  melted  into  the  curtain  of  misty 
rain  which  had  begun  once  more  to  descend  upon  them, 
then  turned  and  made  her  way  slowly  home.  Her  dis- 
covery of  the  Russian's  identity  had  brought  with  it 
no  elation;  it  seemed  almost  unimportant  beside  that 
strange,  bitter  look  which  she  had  surprised  upon  the 
face  of  the  young  engineer  on  the  very  moment  after 
he  had  praised  her  with  such  amazing  candor  and 
warmth. 

Had  she  all  unconsciously  recalled  to  him  some  other 
girl  who  had  not  been  "staunch  and  truehearted  ?"  Was 
another  girl  at  the  bottom  of  the  mystery  which  she  felt 
surrounded  him,  or  did  that  mystery  exist  only  in  her 
own  absurd  interest  in  this  young  employee?  He  might 
be  only  what  he  pretended,  a  quite  ordinary  boy  who 
had  worked  his  way  through  an  engineering  course 
somewhere,  and  the  girl — if  there  were  a  girl — was  prob- 
ably a  common  little  thing. 

Jane  shrugged  as  she  slopped  her  way  through,  the 
mud  and  drizzle.  Barney  Hpyt's  possible  love  affairs 


AN  UNEXPECTED  ARRIVAL  169, 

were  nothing  to  her,  of  course;  she  was  just  lonely  for 
the  city  and  her  friends  and  the  old  life.  Well,  in  a 
month  it  would  be  over.  He  had  said  that  the  race 
would  be  practically  run  when  they  reached  the  trestle, 
and  she  realized  that  she  need  not  stay  for  the  com- 
pletion of  the  road,  after  all.  She  could  go  to  Persis 
in  Maine  for  the  rest  of  the  summer  and  not  only  make 
good  her  alibi,  but  forget  that  she  had  ever  seen 
Katalak. 

The  next  day,  however,  brought  an  event  which  drove 
Hoyt  and  his  affairs  from  her  mind,  and  equally  ban- 
ished all  thought  of  deserting  her  post.  The  "Queen" 
arrived  punctually  with  the  tide  and  in  a  rare  burst  of 
sunshine  Jane  stood  in  the  door  of  the  store  watching 
the  landing  of  the  few  passengers  she  carried. 

They  appeared  to  be  miners  for  the  most  part,  on 
their  way  up  country,  and  Jane  was  turning  away  when 
she  heard  a  subdued  guffaw  from  the  men  grouped 
near  the  door  and  caught  sight  of  a  strange  figure  making 
its  way  gingerly  up  the  street.  It  was  that  of  a  young 
man  clothed  in  corduroy  knickerbockers  and  a  shooting 
coat  topped  by  a  mackinaw  of  exaggerated  London 
make.  His  feet  were  womanishly  small,  and  immaculate 
leather  leggings  covered  his  exceedingly  thin,  long  legs. 
A  checked  cloth  cap  was  perched  at  a  rakish  angle  upon 
his  sleek  head  and  the  face  beneath  it,  clean  shaven  and 
none  too  strong  of  feature,  seemed  vaguely  familiar  to 
Jane. 

Where  could  she  have  seen  this  preposterous  young 
man  before?  Surely  no  one  from  the  East  would  have 
business  in  this  out-of-the-way  corner  of  Alaska,  and 
she  could  not  place  him  among  her  acquaintances  at 


170  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

home.  She  watched  while  he  hesitated  before  Ma 
Heaney's  door  and  finally  disappeared  within.  Who 
could  he  be,  and  what  was  he  doing  here? 

Jane  returned  to  her  place  behind  the  counter  in  a 
perplexity  which  deepened  with  every  moment  that 
passed.  She  knew  him  unquestionably;  the  conviction 
strengthened  the  more  she  sought  to  combat  it,  and  afl 
at  once  a  scene  returned  to  her  mind.  A  ballroom, 
lights  and  flowers  and  music  and  a  young  man  who 
danced  abominably  and  flirted  more  abominably  still. 

The  vision  and  the  significance  of  it  made  her  senses 
whirl.  It  could  not  be!  Memory  was  playing  some 
hideous  trick  upon  her !  What  could  bring  Ronald  Win- 
field,  the  son  of  the  Gildersleeve's  implacable  enemy, 
to  Katalak? 


CHAPTER  XIII 
"J.  BARNABY  HOYT" 

OVERWHELMED  by  the  shock  of  her  discovery, 
Jane  sank  down  on  the  little  stool  which  Jud 
Pittinger  had  installed  behind  the  counter  for 
her  and  rested  her  chin  upon  her  hands.  Another 
memory  returned  now  with  sickening  significance: 
that  scrap  of  paper  with  "Northern  Star"  written  upon 
it  in  Adele  Everton's  hand,  which  she  had  found  on 
the  last  night  in  the  old  home,  slipped  between  the 
leaves  of  the  map  of  Alaska  in  Ollie's  encyclopedia. 

Her  erstwhile  chaperone  was  somewhere  West  now, 
in  Winfield's  private  car.  She  had  known  of  their 
ownership  of  the  Northern  Star  mine  and  had  undoubt- 
edly betrayed  them  to  their  enemy!  Ronald  Winfield 
must  have  been  sent  up  here  by  his  father  to  spy  out 
the  land,  to  find  out  who  was  in  charge  of  their  opera- 
tions and  learn  what  could  be  done  to  wrest  the  mine 
from  them  and  drive  them  once  more  to  the  wall !  Per- 
haps when  he  discovered  the  state  of  war  which  existed 
between  them  and  the  Unatika  outfit,  his  father  would 
buy  a  controlling  interest  in  the  latter  mining  company 
and  bring  the  fight  into  the  open.  Perhaps 

As  a  swift,  almost  incredible  thought  came  to  her 
Jane  sprang  to  her  feet.  Had  Uncle  Andrew  been 
mistaken  after  all  ?  Every  word  of  that  momentous 
conversation  in  the  old  attorney's  office  on  her  birthday 

171 


172  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

came  back  to  her  as  though  it  had  taken  place  only  the 
day  before,  and  she  recalled  his  half  impatient  reply 
when  she  had  asked  the  identity  of  the  Unatika  Com- 
pany: "A  group  of  copper  operators  here  in  Wall  Street 
...  no  standing  among  the  big  fellows  .  .  .  just  a  ring 
of  the  smaller  fry." 

Her  query  as  to  Winfield's  possible  connection  with 
them  had  been  carelessly  denied  and  scorned,  but  Uncle 
Andrew  had  known  that  their  enemy  was  not  yet  satis- 
fied with  his  revenge  upon  them,  that  he  would  go  to 
any  length  to  beggar  them.  What  if  this  fight  meant 
something  more  than  the  mere  right  of  way  for  a  single- 
track  railroad?  Could  it  be  that  Gordon  Winfield  him- 
self was  the  Unatika  Mining  Company? 

Jane  caught  her  breath  sharply.  If  only  Ronald  failed 
to  recognize  her!  That  one  meeting  in  the  Cheevers' 
crowded  ballroom,  a  single  dance  together,  five  minutes 
in  the  dim  conservatory;  would  his  memory  of  it  serve 
to  connect  the  shabby  assistant  storekeeper  of  Katalak 
with  the  radiantly  clad  society  girl  of  that  evening? 
She  had  recognized  him,  but  she  had  had  greater  reason 
to  remember  him  after  the  revelations  of  the  following 
day,  and  here  he  was  in  no  disguise  save  that  provided 
by  his  own  bizarre  idea  of  a  proper  outfit  for  his  en- 
vironment. 

If  he  did  recognize  her  the  case  would  be  hopeless, 

but  if  he  did  not A  daring  plan  had  leaped  fully 

matured  into  her  mind,  and  Jane  felt  that  she  must 
put  it  to  the  test  at  the  earliest  possible  moment.  If 
the  Winfields  were  really  back  of  the  Unatika  outfit  she 
must  get  word  to  Uncle  Andrew  at  once  through  Adam 
MacLeod,  and  how  could  she  learn  the  truth  save  from 


"J.  BARNABY  HOYT"  173 

Ronald?  He  was  as  snobbish  as  all  social  climbers, 
fatuously  vain,  a  braggart  and  a  would-be  Lothario; 
this  much  she  had  gathered  from  their  initial  meeting. 
If  he  were  weak,  as  well,  and  his  conceit  could  be  touched 
and  played  upon  by  the  possible  infatuation  of  an  in- 
significant little  shopgirl  with  his  august  self,  even 
though  she  were  in  the  employ  of  the  rival  company, 
might  he  not  reveal  his  mission  in  Katalak  to  add  to 
his  aggrandizement  in  her  eyes? 

A  little  shudder  swept  over  her  at  the  thought  of  the 
part  she  must  play  if  she  were  to  succeed.  Could  she 
carry  it  through,  deliberately  attract  the  attention  of 
this  bounder,  permit  his  advances,  lead  him  on  to  a 
possible  disclosure?  She  remembered  that  tete-a-tete  in 
the  conservatory,  and  his  insolent  attempt  at  gallantry 
which  had  so  offended  and  repelled  her  even  before  she 
knew  what  cause  she  had  to  detest  any  of  his  breed;  if 
he  used  such  tactics  with  a  girl  of  his  own  world  how 
would  he  approach  one  whom  he  considered  a  social 
inferior?  Could  she  school  herself  to  a  humble,  admir- 
ing acceptance  of  his  condescending  attentions  until  her 
object  was  attained,  in  the  event  that  he  did  not  realize 
her  identity? 

So  engrossed  was  she  in  this  newly  arisen  problem 
that  she  was  not  aware  that  anyone  had  entered  until  a 
voice  almost  beside  her  made  her  start. 

"Are  thoughts  for  sale  here,  Miss  Peddar?  I  have 
a  penny " 

It  was  Barney  Hoyt,  watching  her  with  a  quiet  smile. 

"That  would  be  too  high  a  price  to  pay  for  them, 
Mr.  Hoyt."  She  smiled  back,  conscious  of  a  silly  and 
unaccountable  flush  which  for  no  earthly  reason  had 


174  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

mounted  to  her  brow.  If  he  could  know  the  plan  which 
had  formed  in  her  mind  what  would  he  think  of  her! 
"Besides,  the  stock  is  sadly  depleted,  but  if  there  is 
anything  else  you  wish  to  buy " 

"I  came  to  keep  my  promise ;  to  tell  you  about  Mirko." 
The  bantering  note  was  gone  and  his  tones  were  lowered 
and  grave. 

"Oh!"  The  encounter  with  the  Russian  on  the 
previous  evening  returned  to  her  mind  with  something 
of  a  shock.  "Was  he  the  man  who  has  been  betraying 
you  to  the  Unatika  people  ?  Did  you  find  out  anything  ?" 

"Mirko  is  under  guard  in  one  of  the  bunk-houses ;  he 
will  not  be  allowed  to  communicate  with  anyone  until 
he  is  put  aboard  the  steamer  for  her  return  trip."  Hoyt's 
face  was  stern  and  his  brown  eyes  flashed.  "Thanks  to 
you  again,  Miss  Peddar,  I  think  we  have  found  our 
traitor.  When  I  left  you  last  night  I  examined  the 
steam  shovel ;  the  bridle  on  the  dipper  had  been  loosened 
deliberately  by  the  removal  of  the  cotter  pin.  I  know 
that  doesn't  convey  anything  to  your  mind,  but  it  means 
that  when  the  boom  is  lowered  and  the  dipper  scoops 
up  a  load  of  sand  and  is  pulled  up  again  it  will  slip 
off  in  midair  and  whoever  might  be  standing  beneath 
would  be  crushed  to  a  pulp.  I  had  Mirko  seized  and 
searched  and  the  cotter  pin  was  found  upon  him." 

"I  knew  it !"  Jane  cried.  "I  was  sure  he  was  the 
man  who  had  laid  the  wires  to  blow  up  the  wharf  the 
minute  I  saw  him!  Did  he  confess?  Did  you  learn  who 
had  induced  him  to  turn  traitor?" 

Hoyt  shook  his  head. 

"They're  stubborn,  these  Russians,  and  they  will  take 
a  lot  of  punishment.  I  put  him  through  a  third  degree 


"J.  BARNABY  HOYT"  175 

that  the  old  police  system  could  not  have  surpassed  but 
he  would  not  admit  anything;  swears  he  knows  nothing 
about  the  explosion  at  the  dynamite  shack  or  the  at- 
tempted one  at  the  wharf,  and  hinted  at  a  private 
grievance  against  some  member  of  the  clearing  gang, 
but  that  of  course  is  a  mere  subterfuge.  When  he  was 
searched  a  money  belt  containing  more  than  four  hun- 
dred dollars  in  bills  was  found  upon  him  and  the  most 
casual  computation  proved  that  he  could  not  have  saved 
more  than  a  hundred  from  his  wages  since  he  came  to 
work  for  us." 

"Could  he  not  have  brought  some  of  it  with  him?" 
Jane  asked. 

"No.  He  was  broke  when  we  took  him  on;  we  had 
to  advance  him  money  to  pay  for  his  outfit  and  tobacco. 
The  scoundrel  was  bribed,  of  course,  but  he  won't  give 
his  confederates  away."  Hoyt  paused  and  then  added: 
"However,  we  can  count  ourselves  lucky  in  having  found 
him  out  and  ridden  the  outfit  of  such  carrion,  and  it 
was  all  due  to  your  quick  eye  and  keen  memory,  Miss 
Peddar.  If  you  had  not  recognized  him  and  warned 
me  we  would  have  had  a  serious  and  perhaps  fatal  ac- 
cident to-day  when  I  put  the  steam  shovel  in  operation 
again.  It  would  not  have  delayed  us  in  the  work  on 
the  road,  but  it  would  have  had  a  disastrous  effect  on 
the  morale  of  the  men,  and  that  is  what  the  other  side 
are  counting  on  to  further  retard  the  work.  If  they 
could  bring  about  a  strike,  or  terrorize  any  number  of 
the  outfit  into  deserting  us  the  result  would  be  quite 
as  much  to  their  purpose  as  the  destruction  of  our 
buildings  and  materials.  To  keep  the  road  from  going 
through ;  that  is  their  ultimate  aim,  but  by  heavens  they: 


176  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

shan't  do  it!  Not  while  I'm  above  ground  and  have 
enough  of  an  outfit  left  to  man  a  single  shift!" 

Jane  rejoiced  at  the  fire  in  his  eyes  and  the  grim 
determination  which  rang  through  his  tones.  Then  like 
a  sudden  stab  came  a  realization  of  what  his  words 
implied. 

"While  you  are  above  ground?"  she  echoed.  "You 
don't  mean — you  don't  think  they  would  harm  you?" 

"I  haven't  the  least  doubt  that  they  will  try  if  their 
other  efforts  fail,"  he  responded  carelessly.  "For  the 
sake  of  the  road  I  shall  take  very  good  care  that  they 
don't  succeed." 

"For  the  sake  of  your  friends,  your  family "  Jane 

stammered. 

"I  have  neither."  There  was  no  trace  of  bitterness 
in  his  voice  nor  in  the  smile  which  accompanied  the 
admission.  "There  isn't  a  soul  to  care,  thank  fortune! 
I  don't  have  to  lie  awake  nights  worrying  about  how 
anybody  would  feel  if  an  accident  should  happen;  it's 
mighty  convenient." 

"Don't!"  Jane  cried  impulsively.  "It  is  dreadful  to 
talk — to  think  that  way!  Why,  everyone  in  the  outfit, 
at  least,  is  your  friend  except  that  renegade  you  are 
shipping  back " 

"And  it  is  due  to  you  that  we  discovered  his  treach- 
ery." Hoyt  seized  with  obvious  eagerness  upon  the 
opportunity  to  change  the  subject,  as  if  he  already  re- 
gretted his  half -confidence.  "I  came  only  to  tell  you 
and  to  thank  you,  and  now  I  must  be  getting  back.  I 
have  the  work  geared  up  to  the  last  notch,  you  know, 
to  bring  the  road  up  to  the  glacier  bed  on  time  and  I 


"J.  BARNABY  HOYT"  177 

must  stick  on  the  job  myself.  Thanks  for  your  op- 
portune help  in  spotting  Mirko." 

For  some  time  after  he  had  gone  Jane  stood  staring 
out  the  doorway  with  unseeing  eyes.  No  friends,  no 
family,  not  a  soul  to  care !  Her  heart  cried  out  in  sym- 
pathy even  as  she  realized  that  he  stood  in  no  apparent 
need  of  it.  He  was  so  self-reliant,  so  eminently  able 
to  stand  alone  and  so  determined  to  shut  everyone  out 
of  his  life  that  if  he  were  indeed  friendless  it  must  be 
from  deliberate  choice.  She  recalled  his  swift  changes 
of  mood,  the  hard,  stern  repression  which  followed  each 
impulsive  speech  of  more  than  casual  cordiality  to  her- 
self. Something,  someone  must  have  hurt  him  terribly 
in  the  past.  Could  it  have  been  another  girl? 

As  she  stood  there  in  the  door  Jane  became  aware 
that  someone  was  gazing  fixedly  at  her  and  raised  her 
eyes  to  see  Ronald  Winfield  halted  on  the  other  side  of 
the  street  and  staring  straight  into  her  face  with  a  self- 
conscious  smirk.  Did  he  recognize  her?  She  shrank 
back  out  of  view,  but  not  before  a  tide  of  crimson  had 
flooded  her  face  and  the  young  man,  smiling  broadly, 
sauntered  on  down  to  the  wharf. 

That  he  would  present  return  on  her  side  of  the  street 
Jane  had  no  doubt.  The  crucial  moment  on  which  all 
her  future  plans  hung  was  at  hand  and  her  courage 
rose  to  meet  the  test.  Slowly  she  approached  the  door 
once  more  but  stood  just  within  it  where  he  could  not 
see  her  until  he  was  abreast  of  it,  and  waited  with  a 
wildly  beating  heart. 

Her  face  felt  as  though  it  were  burning  up,  but  she 
told  herself  recklessly  that.it  was  just  as  well;  if  he 
failed  to  connect  her  with  Tanetta.  Gildersleeve,  he  would 


178  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

think  that  she  was  blushing  because  of  his  gaze.  She 
shrank  in  self-disgust  from  the  role  she  had  assumed 
but  her  determination  did  not  abate.  She  must  know  if 
their  enemies  were  back  of  the  Unatika  antagonism. 

At  length  she  heard  his  swaggering  step  approaching 
and  lowered  her  eyes  until  he  reached  the  doorway, 
when  she  flashed  a  quick,  upward  glance  at  him  and 
turned  away  in  well-simulated  confusion.  He  paused, 
stared  boldly  at  her  for  a  moment,  and  then  stepped 
within. 

"Good-morning,"  he  said.  "Nice  little  store  you  have 
here." 

He  had  touched  his  cap  but  did  not  remove  it,  and 
as  she  raised  her  eyes  once  more  she  saw  that  his  were 
alight  with  admiration  and  anticipatory  interest.  He 
had  not  recognized  her!  He  had  stopped  merely  to 
amuse  himself  by  jollying  the  little  shopgirl!  The  wave 
of  relief  which  swept  over  her  was  stemmed  by  the 
cynical  resolve  that  his  wish  should  be  fulfilled. 

"It  isn't  a  general  store,  sir,"  she  replied  demurely, 
"it  belongs  to  the  mining  company  who  built  all  that 
out  there,  to  sell  supplies  to  their  employees,  you  know." 

She  gestured  vaguely  toward  the  wharf,  and  he 
nodded. 

"You  didn't  think  I  wanted  to  buy  any  of  this  junk, 
did  you?"  He  laughed.  "I  wanted  to  say  'hello'  to  the 
prettiest  girl  I've  seen  this  side  of  the  Rockies." 

Jane  retreated  behind  the  counter,  forcing  a  smile 
which  she  took  care  to  let  him  see. 

"I'm  only  the  assistant  here,"  she  murmured.  "If  the 
storekeeper  came  in  and  found  you  k — kidding  me  there 


"J.  BARNABY  HOYT"  179 

would  be  trouble.  Besides,  my  father  doesn't  let  me 
talk  to  people  I  don't  know  up  here." 

Ronald  laughed  at  her  prim  tone. 

"Good  Lord!  Conventions  in  this  hole!"  he  scoffed. 
"Say,  what  on  earth  do  you  do  for  amusement  here, 
anyhow?  There  isn't  even  a  motion-picture  house  that 
I've  been  able  to  discover,  and  I've  been  all  over  the 
beastly  place  in  the  last  hour." 

"There  will  be  one  next  month,  I  believe,"  Jane  re- 
plied. "The  general  superintendent  is  going  to  put  up  a 
shack  and  get  some  reels  from  Ladysmith  or  Tacoma. 
But  you  really  must  go;  the  storekeeper  will  be  here 
any  minute." 

Ronald  leaned  carelessly  over  the  counter. 

"Tell  me  your  name  and  I  will,"  he  announced. 
"You're  the  only  live  thing  I've  seen  around  here." 

"Oh,  no !  I  mustn't !  Father  would  be  so  angry " 

Jane  shrank  back  with  a  shocked  expression.  "Please 
go!" 

Her  tone  was  deprecatory  and  pleading,  but  not  dis- 
pleased and  Ronald  smiled  again. 

"All  right.  Don't  want  to  get  you  into  trouble,  you 
know,"  he  conceded  with  maddening  condescension  in 
his  patronizing  tone.  "I'll  bet  you  I  will  find  out  your 
name  within  an  hour,  though !" 

"I  won't  take  you  up  on  that."  Jane  smiled,  too. 
"Good-morning." 

Ronald  swaggered  to  the  doorway  and  all  but  collided 
with  Jud  Pittinger,  who  fell  back  in  sheer  astonishment 
at  the  apparition. 

"What  in  creation  was  that  doing  in  here?"  he  de- 
manded when  Ronald  had  sauntered  forth.  "Saw  him 


180  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

when  he  landed  and  couldn't  scarcely  believe  my  eyes. 
Never  see  such  a  get-up  in  my  life !" 

"He  thought  this  was  a  general  store,  but  I  told  him 
it  belonged  to  the  company,"  Jane  responded.  "He  does 
look  sort  of  queer,  doesn't  he?" 

"Queer!"  Jud  snorted.  "If  he  don't  get  him  some 
regular  clothes  he's  liable  to  be  lynched!  Looks  as  if 
he  stepped  out  of  a  comic  opery!  Well,  you  go  along 
home  to  dinner  now,  Miss  Jane,  and  you  needn't  hurry 
back  if  you've  got  any  little  fixin'  to  do  for  yourself 
or  your  Pa  around  the  house.  I  can  attend  to  the  three 
o'clock  shift." 

Jane  shook  her  head  as  she  thrust  her  arms  in  the 
sleeves  of  the  coat  he  held  gallantly  for  her. 

"I'm  not  half  earning  my  salary !  You  are  all  spoiling 
me,  between  you!"  she  declared.  "I  won't  know  how 
to  really  work  when  we  go  home;  it's  just  play  up 
here." 

She  left  the  store  pondering  on  her  late  interview 
with  Ronald.  If  he  had  received  the  impression  she 
had  attempted  to  convey  he  must  think  her  a  helpless, 
unsophisticated  little  fool.  At  any  rate,  he  was  inter- 
ested enough  to  want  to  know  her  name;  it  was  a 
beginning.  She  loathed  him  unspeakably,  not  only  on 
account  of  his  blood  but  for  what  he  himself  was,  yet 
she  loathed  herself  still  more.  A  vampire  in  a  silly 
rubber  hat  and  mackintosh,  that  was  what  she  was! 
The  thought  of  the  incongruity  between  character  and 
costume  flashed  upon  her  and  she  laughed  in  spite  of 
herself,  but  gravity  descended  swiftly  once  more.  With- 
out conceit  she  knew  that  he  would  seek  her  out  again. 


"J.  BARNABY  HOYT"  181 

How  long  would  she  have  to  keep  up  the  wretched  farce 
before  she  learned  the  truth? 

"Miss  Jane!  Oh,  Miss  Jane!"  a  hearty  voice  hailed 
her  from  across  the  street,  and  she  looked  up  to  see 
Ma  Heaney  standing  on  the  steps  of  her  lodging  house 
with  Ronald  beside  her  smirking  triumphantly.  "Come 
over  here  for  a  minute,  dearie." 

"I — I  have  to  get  home  for  dinner."  Jane  paused 
irresolutely.  It  was  evident  that  Ronald  had  wasted  no 
time,  but  perhaps  it  would  be  just  as  well.  The  quicker 
their  acquaintanceship  ripened  the  better  for  her  plan. 

She  crossed  the  street  with  evident  reluctance. 

"Dearie,  shake  hands  with  Mr.  Winfield.  He's  been 
askin'  about  you,  and  I  told  him  he  wouldn't  find  a  nicer 
little  lady  in  his  own  home  town  than  Miss  Jane  Ped- 
dar!"  Ma  Heaney  performed  the  social  rite  with 
aplomb.  "I  was  just  directin'  him  to  the  barber's  but 
I  guess  you  can  show  him,  bein'  as  it's  on  your  way 
home." 

"How  do  you  do,  Miss  Peddar."  Ronald  spoke  with 
mock  ceremony  as  he  held  out  a  flabby  hand.  "I  will 
be  very  much  obliged  if  you  will  show  me  the  way." 

"I — I'll  be  very  glad  to,"  she  murmured,  conscious 
of  Ma  Heaney 's  astonished  gaze  at  her  unwontedly  shy 
demeanor.  "I'm  late,  though,  and  I  must  hurry  back 
to  the  store.  If  you  don't  mind " 

"Certainly.     I'll  get  my  umbrella." 

He  turned  back  into  the  house  and  Ma  Heaney  an- 
nounced in  a  stage  whisper: 

"He's  a  real  swell,  Miss  Jane.  You  can  tell  that  by 
his  clothes  even  if  they  do  look  kind  o'  funny  up  here, 
and  ain't  he  got  the  grandest  manner?  He  asked  me 


182  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

who  the  pretty  girl  in  the  company  store  was  and  he 
seemed  real  taken  with  you." 

"What  is  he  in  Katalak  for?"  Jane  ignored  the  com- 
pliment. "He's  not  going  prospecting  up  North  in  those 
clothes,  is  he?" 

"I  expect  he's  just  tourin'  around,"  Ma  Heaney  re- 
sponded. "I  declare  it's  a  long  time  since  a  real  gentle- 
man like  him  came  to  this  town.  I  hope  you  and 
him'll  be  good  friends." 

Ronald  reappeared  at  this  juncture  and  as  they  set 
forth  he  raised  his  umbrella. 

"Don't  hold  it  over  me,  Mr.  Winfield,"  Jane  pro- 
tested. "I'm  used  to  the  rain  and  I  like  it ;  it  can't  hurt 
my  clothes." 

"Does  it  rain  all  the  time  here?"  he  asked. 

"Almost.  Is  this  your  first  trip  up?"  Jane  met  his 
eyes  with  a  bland  stare. 

"Yes."  He  lowered  the  umbrella  and  turned  up  the 
collar  of  his  coat.  "Aren't  you  glad  you  didn't  bet  with 
me?  I  told  you  I  would  find  out  who  you  were,  and 
I  haven't  any  intention  of  going  near  the  barber  shop. 
Filthy  place!  I  passed  it  this  morning." 

"Oh,"  Jane  paused,  adding  innocently,  "then  why  did 
you  come  out  in  the  rain  if  you  didn't  want  to  go 
there?" 

"So  that  I  could  talk  to  you."  He  rose  promptly  to 
the  bait.  "It's  devilish  lonely  up  here,  and  the  minute 
I  saw  you  standing  in  the  store  doorway  I  made  up 
my  mind  that  I'd  get  to  know  you  somehow.  I  think 
I  arranged  it  rather  neatly,  what  ?" 

"But  you  are  a — a  swell,  Mrs.  Heaney  says."  Jane 
looked  down.  "I — I  guess  I'm  not  in  your  class." 


"J.  BARNABY  HOYT"  183 

"You're  a  very  nice  little  girl."  He  pressed  her  arm, 
and  instinctively  she  shrank  away.  "I'm  going  to  see 
a  lot  of  you,  if  you'll  only  be  kind  to  me.  A  chap  must 
have  someone  to  play  about  with,  you  know,  and ' 

He  broke  off  abruptly  and  halted.  Jane  glanced  up 
in  surprise  and  saw  that  he  was  staring  in  equal  astonish- 
men  at  a  figure  which  was  approaching  them ;  the  figure 
of  Barney  Hoyt. 

"Well,  of  all  the— Hello,  Hoyt!" 

The  engineer  flashed  a  quick  glance  at  Jane,  bowed 
coldly  and  passed  by  without  stopping  or  seeming  to 
see  the  half -outstretched  hand  of  Ronald.  The  latter 
flushed  darkly  as  it  fell  once  more  to  his  side. 

"Do  you  know  Mr.  Hoyt?"  Jane  asked  as  though  she 
had  noted  no  significance  in  their  meeting. 

"Know  him?"  Ronald  echoed.  "He  was  in  my  class 
at  college,  worked  his  way  through  the  last  two  years. 
I  don't  wonder  he  doesn't  care  to  remember  me!" 

He  laughed  sneeringly. 

"Why?     Did  he  fail?" 

"No,  but  I  don't  believe  he's  any  too  anxious  to  recall 
those  days."  The  ugly  note  in  his  voice  made  Jane's 
blood  boil,  but  she  controlled  herself.  "I  wonder  what 
he  is  doing  up  here  ?" 

"Why,  he  is  the  construction  engineer  for  the  road 
the  company  I  work  for  is  building,"  Jane  replied. 

"He  is?  J.  Barnaby  Hoyt,  Junior,  digging  ditches 
in  sackcloth  and  ashes,  eh?  By  Gad,  that's  rich!"  he 
chuckled,  and  the  girl  beside  him  felt  a  sudden,  savage 
impulse  to  strike  the  sound  from  his  lips.  "And  he's 
working  for  the  Northern  Star?  What  a  joke!" 

J.  Barnaby  Hoyt !    What  was  it  that  the  name  recalled 


184  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

vaguely  to  her  mind?  It  was  familiar,  not  as  that  of 
anyone  whom  she  had  known  but  she  must  have  heard 
it  talked  about.  The  thought  eluded  her  and  although 
she  hated  herself  for  discussing  the  young  engineer  with 
the  cad  beside  her  whom  he  had  so  obviously  cut,  she 
felt  that  she  must  know. 

"Why  did  he  work  his  way  through  the  last  two 
years  at  college?  Did  he  lose  his  money?" 

"His  father  did.  I  don't  know  where  you  come  from 
and  I  don't  suppose  you  ever  heard  of  him,  but  the  old 
man  was  a  big  broker;  Wall  Street,  if  that  means  any- 
thing to  you.  He  failed  after  trying  to  buck  up  against 
my — well,  some  friends  of  mine;  failed  for  every  dollar 
he  owned  and  a  lot  that  belonged  to  other  people,  I've 
heard.  J.  Barnaby,  Junior, — this  fellow  here — didn't 
have  the  grace  to  disappear.  He  stuck  it  out  and 
brazened  his  way  through  the  rest  of  his  course  at 
college,  even  after  his  father  killed  himself.  Say,  what's 
the  matter?" 

For  Jane  had  stopped  abruptly  and  held  out  her  hand. 
She  was  smiling  steadily,  but  there  was  an  odd  glint  in 
her  eyes. 

"My  road  turns  off  here,  and  I  couldn't  let  you  see 
me  home,  Mr.  Winfield.  You've  only  just  come,  and 
father  wouldn't  understand;  he's  very  strict." 

"You'll  be  at  the  store  later?"  He  tried  to  hold  her 
hand,  but  she  drew  it  away. 

"Yes,  but  you  mustn't  come  there,  you  know.  It  is 
only  for  employees  of  the  company,  and  strangers 
aren't  allowed."  .Her  voice  trembled  slightly.  "Thank 
you  for  walking  so  far  with  me." 

"But  you'll  meet  me  somewhere  ?"  Ronald  urged. 


"J.  BARNABY  HOYT"  185 

"Perhaps,  sometime."  Jane  forced  herself  to  glance 
back  at  him  over  her  shoulder  as  she  moved  off  alone 
along  the  walk.  "Katalak  isn't  such  a  very  big  place, 
Mr.  Winneld!" 

She  was  aware  that  he  st«od  still  watching  her  and 
she  felt  an  impulse  to  run  from  his  detestable  presence. 
She  remembered  now.  The  failure  and  suicide  had 
been  a  nine-days'  sensation  when  she  was  a  very  young 
girl,  and  she  had  often  heard  Uncle  Andy  and  her  grand- 
father mention  it.  She  knew  now  also  the  secret  of 
that  strange,  embittered  streak  in  the  young  engineer's 
nature  which  had  seemed  so  foreign  to  it,  and  her  heart 
overflowed  with  sympathy  for  him,  even  as  her  ad- 
miration rose.  He  had  not  run  away!  He  had  stayed 
and  finished  his  work  at  college,  and  if  the  rest  of  his 
classmates  were  of  Ronald's  caliber,  she  could  imagine 
the  torture  he  must  have  undergone!  Poor  Barney 
Hoyt! 

Then  another,  more  immediate  recollection  came  to 
Jane;  that  look  he  had  flashed  upon  her  when  he  passed 
her  in  Ronald's  company,  and  a  sense  of  guilt  burned 
within  her.  What  must  he  think?  What  would  he 
think  in  the  future  when  he  saw  her  accepting  the  at- 
tention of  the  man  he  evidently  hated?  A  little  shiver 
swept  over  her,  but  she  forced  the  question  back.  What- 
ever he  thought,  however  he  judged  her,  she  must  play 
the  game,  as  he  himself  had  done  when  everything  was 
against  him.  For  Ollie's  sake  more  than  her  own,  for 
the  sake  of  the  fight  they  were  all  making  she  must 
know  if  Gordon  Winfield  was  the  owner  of  the  Unatika 
mine! 


CHAPTER  XIV 


DURING  the  days  that  followed  Jane  saw  little 
of  "Barney"  Hoyt.  He  did  not  come  near 
the  store,  but  she  caught  occasional  glimpses 
of  him  on  the  way  to  and  from  the  grassy  plain  where 
the  rails  were  creeping  out  in  an  ever-lengthening  double 
line  to  the  foothills  beyond.  The  girl  wondered  anew 
when  he  slept,  for  he  seemed  to  be  tirelessly  on  the  job 
day  and  night,  and  her  heart  ached  with  the  longing 
to  say  a  word  of  comfort  to  him  for  the  wretched  past 
which  had  so  saddened  and  embittered  him,  even  though 
she  realized  with  what  surprise  and  resentment  he  would 
receive  such  an  overture  on  her  part. 

He  was  avoiding  her,  of  course,  because  she  was 
evincing  so  lively  an  interest  in  the  newcomer,  the  man 
whom  she  knew  he  must  regard  with  contempt  and 
loathing  as  an  utter  cad,  and  his  attitude  showed  plainly 
enough  what  he  thought  of  her. 

Others,  too,  noted  her  growing  friendship  with  Ronald 
and  it  was  hard  indeed  for  her  to  meet  the  disapproving, 
almost  reproachful  gaze  of  Jud  Pittinger,  and  the 
changed  bearing  of  the  men  themselves  toward  her.  By 
her  association  with  a  man  whom  they  considered  a 
rank  outsider  of  a  particularly  objectionable  sort  she 
had  alienated  herself  from  their  kind  and  the  cha^^ 

186 


REDDENED    SKIES  187 

between  her  and  themselves  which  she  had  bridged  with 
such  painstaking  effort  during  the  first  weeks  was  widen- 
ing again  imperceptibly  but  surely. 

However,  she  was  as  surely  making  headway  with 
Ronald.  Jane  tried  to  gain  what  comfort  she  could 
from  that  knowledge.  Every  waking  moment  which 
found  her  freed  from  her  duties  at  the  store  brought 
him  to  her  side,  and  soon  not  only  the  Northern  Star 
outfit  but  the  townsfolk  of  Katalak  as  well  were  watch- 
ing the  affair  with  interest. 

Peddar  was  the  most  bewildered  of  all.  Ordered  to 
be  especially  gracious  to  the  young  man,  he  was  at  the 
same  time  warned  so  impressively  to  guard  his  tongue, 
and  threatened  with  such  dire  results  if  he  did  not,  that 
he  did  not  know  whether  to  be  pleased  or  dismayed 
at  the  advent  of  this  new  factor  in  a  situation  already 
complicated  enough  to  try  his  soul.  Young  Mr.  Win- 
field  was  evidently  a  gentleman  of  their  own  sort  and 
from  their  own  world,  and  it  was  natural,  he  told  him- 
self, that  his  mistress  should  like  the  society  of  the  kind 
of  person  to  whom  she  was  accustomed,  but  she  seemed 
to  be  losing  all  interest  in  the  progress  of  the  railroad 
and  the  whole  outfit.  She  could  find  plenty  of  young 
gentlemen  like  Mr.  Winfield  at  home;  had  they  come 
all  this  weary  way  and  endured  such  hardships  for  her 
to  relinquish  her  purpose  for  a  mere  flirtation? 

He  felt  older  by  twenty  years  than  when  they  had 
left  New  York;  older  and  unable  to  cope  with  the 
situation.  It  was  one  thing  to  act  as  guardian  for  Miss 
Janey  on  this  wild  mission  which  she  had  undertaken, 
but  quite  another  to  chaperone  her  during  a  possible 
love  affair.  He  dared  not  approach  her  directly  on  the 


i88  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

subject,  but  when  Big  Jim  Bowers,  the  superintendent, 
dropped  in  one  evening  for  a  smoke  with  him,  he  at- 
tempted as  cautiously  as  his  guileless  nature  would  allow 
to  sound  him  on  the  matter. 

"We  don't  see  much  of  young  Mr.  Hoyt  any  more," 
he  ventured  as  an  opening  wedge. 

"Guess  not.  He's  right  busy,  I  reckon,"  Big  Jim  re- 
sponded laconically. 

"He  used  to  find  time  to  get  around  now  and  then." 

"Before  this  city  fellow  came  up."  The  superin- 
tendent spoke  dryly.  "I  don't  thing  he  cares  much  for 
that  kind." 

"I — I'm  quite  sure  Mr.  Winfield  is  a  perfect  gentle- 
man," Peddar  quavered,  shocked  at  the  implied  dis- 
paragement of  the  representative  of  a  class  before  which 
he  bowed. 

"Do  you  know  what  he  is  up  here  for?  Does  any- 
body?" Big  Jim  knocked  the  ashes  from  his  pipe  and 
reached  for  his  tobacco  sack. 

"Janey  says  he  is  just  traveling  around  to  see  this  part 
of  the  country,"  Peddar  replied  somewhat  doubtfully. 

"Then  why  don't  he  travel?"  demanded  the  other. 
"He's  been  here  more  than  a  fortnight  now  and  no  signs 
of  taking  himself  off.  I've  caught  him  snooping  around 
our  works  more  than  once  and  he  is  forever  disappear- 
ing into  the  foothills  on  that  horse  he  bought  from  Lew 
Nagle,  and  always  going  in  one  direction,  too;  toward 
the  Unatika  outfit.  I'm  not  quite  sure  of  that  young 
man." 

"How  is  Janey  getting  on  at  the  store  ?"  Peddar  asked 
suddenly. 

"All  right."    Big  Jim's  loquacity  seemed  as  suddenly 


REDDENED    SKIES  189 

stemmed.  "Guess  she's  there  whenever  Jud  Pittinger 
needs  her." 

The  insinuation  was  not  lost  upon  his  host. 

"Do  you  mean  that  she  isn't  there  as  much  as  she 
used  to  be?"  Peddar's  tone  was  filled  with  unconcealed 
anxiety.  "She — she's  spending  too  much  time  with  Mr. 
Winfield?" 

"Well,  you're  her  boss,"  Big  Jim  responded  slowly. 

"I  only  wish  I  was!"  The  anxiety  changed  to  bitter- 
ness as  Peddar  recalled  the  past  weeks  of  tribulation 
now  seemingly  gone  for  naught.  "When  she  was  a 
little  thing  I  could  manage  her  in  a  way  of  speaking, 
but  she  was  always  a  handful!  Now  nobody,  not 
even •" 

He  caught  himself  up  with  belated  caution,  but  Big 
Jim  nodded  understandingly. 

"Guess  girls  mostly  are,"  he  remarked  sagely.  "Of 
course,  she's  naturally  kind  of  flattered  that  a  swell  like 
this  Winfield  should  take  notice  of  her,  but  a  fellow 
of  his  sort  don't  mean  anything  serious  with  a  girl  who 
works  in  a  company  store.  I  thought  Miss  Jane  was 
more  level  headed  than  to  let  it  get  turned,  but  she's 
young  yet.  If  you  ask  me,  Mr.  Peddar,  I'd  keep  my 
eye  on  her." 

"Flattered?  Her!"  Peddar  choked.  "There— there's 
nothing  in  Mr.  Winfield's  attentions  that  could  flatter 
M — my  daughter !" 

"Right  you  are!"  Big  Jim  agreed,  misreading  the 
other's  indignation.  "She  is  too  fine  a  girl  to  waste 
her  time  with  a  fellow  who  is  only  fooling  around  and 
amusing  himself.  Why  don't  you  kind  of  talk  to  her?" 

"It  wouldn't  be  any  Use,"  Eeddar  retorted  gloomily, 


190  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

"I've  tried  but  she  just  says  that  she  knows  what  she 
is  doing,  and  there  you  are.  Now,  if  you  was  to  tell 
her  that  she  ought  to  stay  around  the  store  more,  maybe 
she  would  listen." 

"I'm  no  hand  at  that  kind  of  thing!"  Big  Jim  pro- 
tested in  some  alarm. 

"Still,  she's  working  for  you,  isn't  she?"  Peddar  in- 
sisted. "You  might  hint  to  Mr.  Pittinger  that  I  would 
like  to  have  her  kept  to  the  work  she  came  up  here  to 
do.  I'm  sure  I  wish  that  we  had  never  come,  I  do, 
indeed!" 

At  that  precise  moment  Jane,  mounted  on  a  bony, 
spavined  horse  that  she  would  have  disdained  at  home, 
was  cantering  slowly  through  the  grove  of  cotton  wood 
trees  which  lined  the  river  valley  three  miles  above 
where  it  emptied  into  Katalak  Bay,  and  Ronald  was 
beside  her. 

She  was  in  a  mood  bordering  on  exasperation  for 
although  there  was  no  question  of  Ronald's  subjuga- 
tion, she  seemed  not  a  whit  nearer  gaining  his  con- 
fidence than  when  he  had  come.  Again  and  again  she 
had  led  as  adroitly  as  she  could  up  to  the  subject  of 
the  mines,  but  he  showed  no  interest  in  either  of  them, 
and  when  she  questioned  his  reason  for  remaining  so 
long  in  Katalak  his  reply  was  invariably  in  the  form 
of  an  insolently  fulsome  compliment. 

It  had  been  as  much  as  she  could  do  to  keep  him 
from  making  open  love  to  her,  and  she  told  herself 
fiercely  that  not  for  a  hundred  mines  could  she  endure 
that!  Still,  he  could  not  be  held  off  forever,  and  the 
thought  of  possible  failure  was  maddening. 

They  emerged  upon  the  mossy  plain  and  slowed  to  a 


REDDENED    SKIES  191 

walk  to  pick  their  way  between  the  tufts  of  stunted 
grasses,  and  Jane's  eyes  turned  eagerly  toward  the 
railroad. 

"We  are  getting  on  to  the  glacier  bed,  aren't  we?" 
she  cried  exultantly,  forgetful  of  the  need  of  caution 
in  her  joy  at  sight  of  the  progress  which  had  been  made 
since  last  she  had  passed  that  way. 

"Are  you  so  much  interested  in  the  work  of  the 
Northern  Star  Company,  Jane?"  Ronald  pressed  his 
mount  close  to  hers.  "They  don't  regard  you  as  any- 
thing more  than  an  insignificant  cog  in  their  machine, 
you  know.  Why  should  you  care?" 

"Well,  I'm  working  for  them,"  Jane  responded  half- 
apologetically.  "Mr.  Hoyt  showed  me  the  start  of  the 
work  and  it  was  really  interesting  although  I  didn't  un- 
derstand a  thing  about  it,  of  course.  Mr.  Hoyt  tried 
to  explain " 

"Look  here!"  he  interrupted.  "Wasn't  it  Hoyt  and 
not  the  road  that  was  interesting?  Were  you  playing 
about  with  him  before  I  came?" 

Jane  lowered  her  eyes  to  keep  him  from  seeing  the 
sudden  fire  of  indignation  which  glowed  in  them. 

"What  if  I  was?"  she  asked  with  a  poor  attempt  at 
coquetry,  but  Ronald  was  not  in  a  mood  to  be  critical. 

He  laughed  that  short,  ugly  laugh  of  his. 

"It's  a  good  thing  for  you  that  I  appeared  on  the 
scene  before  you  lost  your  heart  to  him,  little  one,"  he 
remarked  complacently.  "I  told  you  a  few  things  about 
him  that  first  day,  but  there's  something  you  don't  know. 
You  wouldn't  have  stood  a  chance  with  him,  my  dear; 
he  was  stung  once,  and  he'll  never  look  at  another  girl 
again  as  long  as  he  lives." 


i92  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

Jane's  heart  leaped  and  then  seemed  to  stop  dead  in 
her  breast.  So  there  was  another  girl  after  all !  It  had 
been  something  more  than  the  tragedy  and  disgrace  of 
the  past  which  had  brought  that  embittered  look  to  his 
face! 

"Oh,  I  suppose  people  all  have  love  affairs  that  they 
think  they  will  never  get  over."  Could  that  be  her  own 
voice  speaking  with  such  casual  carelessness? 

"Not  Hoyt.  He  was  hit  so  hard  that  he  won't  forget 
it,"  Ronald  chuckled.  "It  was  my  own  cousin,  too.  She 
is  two  or  three  years  older  than  he,  but  a  stunner,  if  a 
chap  likes  the  dark,  imperious  kind.  They  were  engaged 
and  she  liked  him  well  enough  to  marry  him,  I  fancy, 
before  the  smash  came;  you  see,  she  hasn't  a  penny  of 
her  own  and  old  Hoyt  was  reputed  to  be  worth  mil- 
lions. When  he  failed  and  killed  himself,  J.  Barnaby, 
Junior,  had  the  nerve  to  expect  her  to  wait  for  him; 
wait  until  he  had  finished  college,  and  then  marry  him 
and  go  away  to  some  hole  like  this  while  he  dug  ditches 
and  laid  rails !  If  you  had  ever  seen  my  cousin  Grace 
you  would  realize  what  chance  there  was  of  her  looking 
forward  to  such  a  future!  She  told  him  where  he  got 
off  without  mincing  matters,  and  it  was  a  facer  for  him, 
I  can  tell  you!  Shouldn't  be  surprised  if  he  cared  for 
her  even  now." 

Jane  had  tried  to  interrupt  him,  to  silence  that  sneer- 
ing, heartless  voice  that  was  laying  bare  another  man's 
soul,  but  no  sound  came  from  her  lips.  She  was  scarcely 
conscious  of  having  taken  in  half  that  he  had  said;  the 
fact  that  there  had  been  another  girl  had  overshadowed 
his  statement  that  it  was  his  cousin  and  not  until  he 


REDDENED    SKIES  193 

mentioned  the  name  "Grace"  did  it  have  any  significance 
for  her. 

So  it  had  been  Grace  Winfield,  Adele  Everton's  friend 
whom  she  was  even  now  chaperoning!  She  had  meant 
to  marry  him  for  his  money,  and  threw  him  over  when 
that  dream  was  dispelled!  Jane  felt  a  rising  rage  and 
contempt  against  this  girl  whom  she  had  never  seen 
which  surpassed  even  her  secret  antagonism  to  the  man 
beside  her.  What  a  wicked,  heartless,  abominable 
creature ! 

She  was  aware  that  Ronald  had  turned  in  his  saddle 
and  was  regarding  her  curiously  and  she  shrugged. 

"Maybe  he  does  care  for  her  still ;  what  is  it  to  me  ?" 
she  asked.  "I  had  plenty  of  fellows  before  we  came 
up  here." 

"You've  got  me,  now,"  Ronald  announced  in  a  quick 
undertone.  "Gad,  but  I  should  say  you  have  got  me! 
I  never  thought  I  should  fall  so  hard,  but  you're  different 
to  any  of  the  rest  of  them.  I'd  swear  you  were  leading 
me  on,  you  little  witch,  only  you  never  let  me  even  hold 
your  hand!  I  can't  make  out  what  kind  of  a  girl  you 
are!" 

"Well,  I  don't  know  anything  about  you,  you  know." 
She  laughed  back  at  him,  but  her  heart  was  like  lead 
within  her.  "I  never  met  anyone  like  you,  either.  I 
just  know  your  name  and  that  you  come  from  New 
York." 

"I  fancy  my  name  would  be  enough  if  you  had  ever 
known  many  people  back  in  the  East;  that  is,  people 
who — er " 

"In    society,    you    mean?"    Jane    queried    demurely. 


194  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

"What  chance  have  I  ever  had  to  meet  them  until  you 
came?  You'll  be  going  away  soon " 

"I'll  stay  as  long  as  you  are  here."  He  leaned  so 
near  that  his  breath  fanned  her  cheek.  "Don't  you  know, 
Jane,  that  I'm  mad  about  you?  Won't  you  be  a  little 
kind  to  me?" 

"I  think  I  am,  spending  time  with  you  when  I  ought 
to  be  at  work  in  the  store,  and  neglecting  father  and 
the  house,"  she  retorted,  adding  quickly:  "Let's  swing 
around  and  come  in  the  upper  end  of  Main  Street." 

They  had  reached  the  outskirts  of  Katalak,  and  Jane 
was  spared  any  further  demonstration  on  the  part  of 
her  companion.  When  she  dismounted  Peddar  was 
waiting  anxiously  at  the  open  door  of  the  shack,  and 
there  was  opportunity  only  for  a  formal  good-night,  for 
which  she  was  profoundly  thankful.  Her  head  ached 
throbbingly  and  every  nerve  in  her  body  seemed  on  edge. 

"Oh,  for  goodness  sake,  let  me  alone!"  she  cried  im- 
patiently, in  response  to  Peddar's  admonition  to  come 
in  out  of  the  dampness.  "I  don't  mean  to  be  cross,  but 
you  are  so  stupid  sometimes,  Peddar!  Do  go  to  bed;  I 
want  to  stay  out  here  on  the  porch  awhile  and  think." 

Peddar  sighed  reproachfully  and  closed  the  door,  and 
Jane  sank  down  on  the  lowest  step,  elbows  resting  on 
knees  and  her  small  chin  cupped  in  her  hands. 

Grace  Winfield  had  never  married;  she  had  lived 
abroad  for  years  and  then  in  Baltimore.  Evidently  she 
had  not  succeeded  yet  in  ensnaring  a  rich  man  as  she 
had  supposed  Barney  Hoyt  to  be.  How  could  he  ever 
have  been  taken  in  by  a  designing  thing  like  that?  He 
seemed  so  clear-eyed,  so  sure  of  himself !  But  she  was 
a  stunner,  Ronald  had  said,  of  the  dark,  imperious  kind. 


REDDENED    SKIES  195 

Jane  tossed  her  own  red-gold  head.  Older  than  Barney 
Hoyt,  too,  and  he  was  only  a  boy  then  in  college.  But 
sometimes  those  early  affairs  lasted  all  one's  life;  per- 
haps he  was  in  love  with  her  still,  would  always  love 
her. 

All  at  once  that  moment  in  the  store  on  the  day  of 
Ronald's  first  appearance  in  Katalak  returned  to  Jane's 
mind,  when  Barney  Hoyt  had  told  her  that  he  had 
neither  family  nor  friends  and  there  was  "no  one  to 
care."  Had  he  been  thinking  at  that  very  minute  of  the 
girl  who  had  cast  him  aside  when  trouble  and  disgrace 
that  was  none  of  his  doing  came  to  him?  He  didn't 
look  like  the  sort  of  man  who  would  forget,  ever.  What 
a  hideous  muddle  the  world  was! 

Jane  did  not  realize  how  long  she  sat  there  until  the 
gray  gloom  slowly  darkened  to  the  dusky  twilight  which 
meant  that  their  two  short  hours  of  night  were  at  hand. 
One  o'clock !  Peddar  must  long  since  have  been  asleep, 
or  he  would  have  reappeared  and  besought  her  to 
come  in. 

She  rose  stiffly  and  turned  to  enter  the  shack,  when 
the  sound  of  footsteps  on  the  plank  walk  made  her 
pause.  Who  could  be  coming  that  way  at  such  an  hour  ? 
A  swift  fear  that  it  might  be  Malison  returned  for 
vengeance  clutched  at  her  heart,  and  she  waited  with 
her  hand  on  the  doorknob,  ready  to  spring  within  and 
draw  the  bolts  if  it  were. 

Then  she  remembered  her  whistle,  and  was  just  reach- 
ing for  it,  when  two  figures  advanced  toward  her  out  of 
the  dusk,  and  to  her  astonishment  she  recognized  Big 
Jim  Bowers  and  Barney  Hoyt. 

They  were  talking  together  in  low  but  excited  tones 


196  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

and  she  caught  the  words:  "Knifed  in  the  back,  too, 
poor  devil !  .  .  .  Thought  that  scoundrel  Malison  had 
been  quiet  too  long.  .  .  .  Case  for  a  deputy  marshal." 

"Oh,  what  is  it?"  Jane  cried,  advancing  to  the  steps. 

"You  up  still,  Miss  Jane?"  It  was  the  superintendent 
who  replied  to  her.  Hoyt  glanced  away.  "Sorry  to  have 
to  disturb  your  father  at  this  hour,  but  we  have  a  mes- 
sage for  you." 

"For  me?"  faltered  Jane.    "From  whom?" 

"From  the  man  you  befriended;  Pietro.  It  was  too 
serious  a  matter  to  wait  till  morning." 

"Come  in."  She  turned  and  opening  the  door  led  the 
way  into  the  shack.  "Will  it  be  necessary  to  awaken 
father?  I  don't  like  to  alarm  him " 

"No."  Hoyt  spoke  for  the  first  time.  "Miss  Peddar, 
I  am  afraid  our  news  will  be  something  of  a  shock  to 
you,  but  we  dare  not  waste  a  moment's  time  in  trying 
to  prepare  you  for  it.  Pietro  is  dead.  He  was  found 
just  now  lying  close  to  the  rails  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
up  our  line,  stabbed  in  the  back.  When  the  body  was 
searched  this  envelope  addressed  to  you  was  discovered 
in  one  of  his  pockets." 

He  held  out  the  missive  as  he  spoke,  but  Jane  did 
not  seem  to  see  it.  Her  eyes  had  blurred  with  tears, 
the  first  she  had  shed  since  coming  to  Katalak,  and  she 
cried  brokenly : 

"Dead !  Poor  Pietro !  And  the  baby !  The  little  baby 
he  had  never  seen!" 

"Miss  Peddar,  will  you  please  read  this  at  once  or 
give  me  leave  to  do  so."  Hoyt's  tone  was  cutting, 
dominant  in  its  command,  and  there  was  a  harsh,  un- 
feeling quality  in  it  that  she  had  never  heard  before. 


REDDENED   SKIES  197 

Big  Jim  seemed  not  unaware  of  it,  for  he  supple- 
mented : 

"You  see,  Miss  Jane,  we  think  it  may  be  a  warning 
of  danger  to  you,  and  we  believe  he  may  have  been 
followed  and  killed  to  prevent  his  telling  you.  He  prob- 
ably anticipated  that,  and  planned  for  the  note  to  reach 
you  if  he  couldn't." 

Brushing  away  her  tears  Jane  took  the  grimy,  crum- 
pled envelope  from  the  engineer's  hand,  as  if  in  a  daze, 
and  tore  it  open. 

One  startled  glance  at  its  contents  and  the  mist  cleared 
from  before  her  eyes. 

"Good  Heavens!  Listen!  'Gracious  Signorina.  No 
go  store  to-night.  Death !'  signed  'Pietro !'  What  can  it 
mean?"  She  raised  horrified  eyes  to  the  two  men. 
"Surely  Malison  would  not  dare  attempt  murder  just 
because  I " 

"Pietro  was  murdered,"  Hoyt  interrupted  grimly. 
"What  do  you  make  of  it,  Jim?" 

"I'm  going  down  to  the  store  and  see,"  the  superin- 
tendent announced.  "Pietro  has  been  dead  for  some 
hours ;  it  may  be  that  they  meant  to  waylay  Miss  Jane  as 
she  went  back  to  her  work  early  this  evening,  but  it  don't 
seem  likely  that  they  would  try  it  in  daylight.  I  think 
they  mean  mischief  down  at  the  store,  but  there's  time 
yet  to  stop  it." 

He  turned  to  the  door  and  Hoyt  called  after  him: 

"Send  a  couple  of  the  boys  up  here  at  once.  I'll  wait 
until  they  come." 

Jane  ventured  a  timidly  grateful  glance  at  him,  but 
he  had  not  looked  directly  at  her  since  he  came  and  she 


198  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

stiffened.  He  was  only  doing  his  duty.  Why  should 
she  humble  herself  to  thank  him? 

A  wild  yell  from  Big  Jim  made  them  both  wheel 
about  in  alarm.  He  had  stepped  out  upon  the  porch, 
and  stood  looking  toward  Main  Street  and  the  harbor, 
his  mighty  figure  outlined  in  a  lurid  red  haze. 

"My  God!    They've  fired  the  storehouse!" 


CHAPTER  XY 
THE  MESSAGE 

JANE  and  Hoyt  sprang  through  the  doorway.  The 
red  rain  drops  fell  slowly  like  dripping  blood,  and 
reddened,  too,  was  the  arch  of  the  sky.  At  the 
harbor's  edge  a  huge  crimson  flare  shot  up,  mingled  with 
the  sharp  writhing  tongues  of  flame,  and  bathed  the 
whole  town  and  the  bay  in  its  vivid,  sinister  light. 

Peddar's  startled,  quavering  tones  sounded  from  be- 
hind them,  but  Jane  did  not  hear. 

"Jud  Pittinger !"  she  gasped.  "He'll  never  leave  while 
a  bit  of  the  stock  is  left  in  the  store,  and  they  may  have 
planted  dynamite  again !" 

"Stay  here !"  Hoyt  ordered  as  he  and  Big  Jim  leaped 
down  the  steps.  "I'll  send  someone  back  to  guard 
you " 

"It's  my  store!"  Jane  flamed  back  at  him  and  would 
have  started  after,  but  Peddar  appeared  and  seized  her 
arm. 

"You'll  do  as  Mr.  Hoyt  says,  miss !"  he  declared  with 
amazing  firmness.  "Whatever  happens  to  the  store  or 
anyone  in  it,  you'll  not  go  down  there  this  night  to  be 
killed !  I've  charge  of  you  and  it's  my  duty " 

"Let  me  go!"  Jane  tore  herself  from  his  grasp,  and 
dashing  down  the  steps  started  off  hatless  and  coatless 
through  the  rain. 

199 


200  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

It  seemed  miles  to  Main  Street.  The  wet  planks  were 
slippery  and  treacherous  under  foot  and  the  clinging  mud 
seemed  to  suck  her  down  with  each  step,  but  she  ran 
doggedly  on,  her  eyes  fixed  upon  that  lurid  glow  ahead. 

Subdued  shouting  came  to  her  ears  and  the  rushing 
clatter  of  feet,  and  as  she  turned  the  corner  of  Main 
Street  at  last  Jane  paused,  appalled  yet  fascinated  by 
the  scene  before  her. 

The  company  warehouse,  in  one  side  of  which  the 
store  was  situated,  had  become  a  roaring  furnace  from 
which  flames  leaped  high  and  great  clouds  of  turgid 
smoke  billowed  forth  to  hang  low  in  a  dense,  smothering 
blanket  over  the  town.  The  men  of  the  company  aug- 
mented as  it  seemed  by  everyone  in  town  were  drawn 
up  in  a  circle  about  the  burning  building  as  near  as  they 
dared  approach,  and  the  emergency  fire  apparatus  sent 
feeble,  pitifully  inadequate  streams  of  water  into  the 
holocaust  only  to  have  then  turn  to  a  hissing  spray  of 
steam. 

At  that  distance  Jane's  eyes  were  smarting,  and  a 
sharp  pain  darted  through  her  lungs.  She  turned  up  the 
sodden  woolen  collar  of  her  sweater  and  pressing  it 
across  her  mouth  and  nose,  started  down  the  street,  but 
as  she  passed  the  lodging  house  Ma  Heaney  hailed  her. 

"Miss  Jane!  What  in  the  world  are  you  doing  here? 
Dearie,  there  ain't  a  mite  o'  use  your  goin'  any  further, 
you  couldn't  get  near  the  store  anyway ;  it's  gone !" 

Jane  looked  up.  Ma  Heaney  was  seated  on  the  top 
step  philosophically  regarding  the  conflagration,  and  be- 
side her  lounged  Ronald.  He  was  watching  the  scene 
absorbedly,  and  in  the  red  glare  it  seemed  to  Jane  that 
he  was  smiling. 


THE   MESSAGE  201 

"Jud  Pittinger!     Is  he  safe?" 

At  the  sound  of  Jane's  cry  Ronald  turned  quickly  and 
sprang  to  his  feet. 

"Miss  Peddar !  Come  up  here  and  sit  with  us  if  you 
can  stand  the  smoke.  I  had  no  idea  that  you  would 
come  out  at  this  hour  or  I  would  have  gone  to  your 
home  for  you.  You  really  must  not  go  any  nearer  the 
blaze ;  it's  not  safe !" 

Jane  paused  irresolutely,  but  the  crowd  and  the  smoke 
which  eddied  up  the  street  warned  her  that  it  would 
be  impossible  to  approach  the  burning  building  and  re- 
luctantly she  mounted  the  steps  and  seated  herself  be- 
side them. 

"The  wind  is  from  the  north,  what  there  is  of  it, 
thank  the  Lord!"  Ma  Heaney  observed.  "If  'tweren't, 
likely  the  whole  place  would  go.  I've  seen  it  start  this 
way  in  a  boom  town  in  Nevada,  and  when  it  died  out 
there  wasn't  so  much  as  a  wall  standin'." 

"But  is  there  really  no  danger  that  some  of  the  other 
houses  may  catch  fire?"  Jane  asked  nervously.  "The 
smoke  seems  to  be  rolling  up  this  way." 

"I  guess  not,"  replied  Ma  Heaney.  "It's  been  rainin' 
pretty  steady,  you  know,  and  they're  all  well  soaked. 
I  ain't  worryin'  none,  myself.  Nothing's  likely  to  catch 
of  its  own  accord." 

Jane  glanced  sharply  at  her. 

"You  mean  that  the  store  was  set  on  fire?"  she  asked 
in  a  lowered  tone.  Could  it  be  that  other  warning  had 
reached  the  town  beside  that  poor  pitiful  little  note  of 
Pietro's? 

Ma  Heaney  shrugged  her  ample  shoulders. 

"Don't  you  smell  something  else  on  the  air  besides 


202  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

the  .smoke?"  she  demanded.  "Somethin'  queer,  like  a 
hospital  smell?" 

"Heavens,  Mrs.  Heaney!"  Ronald  turned  quickly  to 
her.  "How  could  anyone  possibly  get  a  whiff  of  any- 
thing else?  I  suppose  they  have  medical  supplies  and 
disinfectants  stored  in  the  warehouse,  along  with  all  the 
rest  of  the  stuff,  but  you  couldn't  detect  the  odor  of 
any  one  thing  burning." 

"Don't  talk  to  me,  young  man !"  retorted  Ma  Heaney. 
"You  see  those  green  and  yellow  and  blue  flames  mixed 
with  the  red  ones,  when  the  fire  creeps  to  a  fresh  spot 
low  down  on  the  wall  near  the  ground  ?  That's  creosote 
burning — creosote  that's  been  put  there  to  help  the  blaze 
along.  That  there  fire's  been  set,  as  sure  as  you're  alive !" 

"But  who  would  do  it?"  There  was  amused  in- 
credulity in  Ronald's  tone,  and  Jane  watched  his  face 
with  steady  eyes.  "Surely  the  Northern  Star  is  not 
so  hard  up  that  they  have  more  need  of  their  insurance 
money  than  their  materials  and  supplies  ?" 

Jane  caught  her  breath  indignantly,  but  checked  the 
hasty  words  which  rose  to  her  lips  at  his  cool  insolence. 

"No,  I  reckon  the  Northern  Star  ain't  exactly  hard 
up,  but  there's  them  that  would  like  to  see  them  so," 
Ma  Heaney  replied  dryly.  "You're  a  stranger  here,  Mr. 
Winfield,  but  there's  been  a  lot  o'  crooked  work  goin' 
on,  and  we've  all  got  a  pretty  clear  notion  o'  who's  at 
the  bottom  of  it.  Those  of  us  who  like  fair  play  are 
kind  o'  bettin'  on  the  Northern  Star." 

Jane  could  have  hugged  her,  but  instead  she  asked 
once  more: 

"Have  you  seen  Mr.  Pittinger?  Doesn't  anybody 
know  whether  he  is  safe  or  not?" 


THE   MESSAGE  203 

"Don't  you  worry  about  him,  dearie."  Ma  Heaney 
pressed  her  hand.  "Before  you  showed  up  I  seen  him 
workin'  like  blazes  with  the  other  men,  getting  what 
part  of  his  stock  out  that  he  could,  and  when  the  store 
got  too  hot  for  him  he  went  to  help  save  some  of  the 
materials  from  the  warehouse.  The  last  I  saw  of  him, 
he  was  dancin'  around  a  bunch  o'  dagos,  drivin'  them 
to  work  faster.  Jud's  all  right." 

"Was — was  anybody  hurt,  do  you  know?"  Jane  felt 
that  there  was  a  mental  reservation  in  the  older  woman's 
emphasis  of  the  storekeeper's  name,  and  a  swift  fear 
made  her  whole  body  tense. 

"Well,  they  do  say  that  when  the  back  wall  o'  the 
store  fell  somebody  got  caught  underneath  it.  One  o'  the 
boys  hollered  it  to  me  from  across  the  street,  but  maybe 
it  ain't  so." 

"Did  he  say  who  it  was?"  Jane  cried  in  an  agony  of 
anxiety.  "Ma  Heaney,  I've  just  got  to  know !" 

"It  wasn't  Hoyt,  at  any  rate !"    Ronald  turned  to  her 
with  a  sudden  sneer  which  curled  back  his  lips  from  his 
teeth.    "He  and  the  superintendent  arrived  on  the  scene 
late  enough  to  be  perfectly  safe !" 
Jane  ignored  the  slur. 

"I    was    thinking    of    the    others,"    she    dissembled. 
"They're  all  friends  of  mine,  you  know.    Oh,  there's 
Mr.  Dugdale!     I'll  ask  him!" 

She  jumped  to  her  feet  and  darted  down  the  steps 
and  across  the  street  in  vast  relief,  fearful  that  if  she 
stayed  a  moment  longer  in  Ronald's  presence  she  would 
be  unable  to  contain  herself. , 

Harve  Dugdale  saw  her  coming  and  paused  in  sur- 
prise. 


204  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

"Holy  mackerel,  Miss  Jane,  I  thought  you  was  home 
and  asleep!"  he  exclaimed.  "There's  nothin'  more  to 
be  done  but  to  let  her  burn  out,  and  see  that  no  other 
shack  don't  catch." 

"Who  was  hurt?"  she  demanded  breathlessly.  "Ma 
Heaney  said  that  someone  was  caught  under  a  falling 
wall!" 

Harve  grinned  sheepishly. 

"Nobody  but  me,  I  guess,  and  I  ain't  hurt  a  mite, 
only  singed  some.  The  boys  pulled  me  out." 

Jane  looked  quickly  up  and  saw  that  where  the 
rivulets  of  sweat  had  washed  the  soot  from  his  face  his 
leathery  skin  was  strangely  pale  and  his  heavy  brows 
and  the  hair  above  them  were  gone. 

"Oh,  are  you  sure  you  are  not  burned,  not  in  pain?" 
she  asked  pityingly. 

"Not  a  mite!"  he  responded  cheerfully.  "I'm  goin' 
to  see  you  home  if  you'll  let  me,  Miss  Jane.  I  don't 
guess  your  Pa  would  want  you  to  be  around  town  alone 
this  time  o'  night,  and  there  ain't  a  thing  you  can 
do." 

Jane  suffered  herself  to  be  convoyed  home,  but  after 
she  had  quieted  Peddar's  fears  and  lain  down  upon  her 
bed  sleep  was  long  in  coming  to  her.  The  tragedy  of 
Pietro's  death  in  her  service,  even  more  than  the  disaster 
to  the  warehouse  and  store  weighed  upon  her  spirits, 
although  it  might  be  that  the  latter  would  retard  the 
road  building  for  many  precious,  vital  weeks  to  come. 
If  only  she  might  have  seen  Barney  Hoyt  again,  even 
for  a  moment  down  there! 

But  what  word  of  comfort  could  she  have  offered  him 
in  this  hour  of  his  greatest  trial?  The  old  camaraderie 


THE   MESSAGE  205 

between  them  was  gone  forever,  the  budding  friendship 
killed  by  the  blight  of  Ronald's  presence,  and  in  her 
own  heart  she  felt  a  certain  constraint  towards  the  young 
engineer.  He  was  in  love  with  Grace  Winneld,  and 
nursing  that  love  in  spite  of  its  futility.  If  she  went 
out  of  her  way  to  try  to  comfort  him  in  this  disaster 
he  might  think  that  she,  the  assistant  storekeeper,  was 
smitten  with  him! 

Jane  buried  her  face  in  the  thin  pillow  in  shame  at 
the  thought.  Why  should  she  care  how  he  felt  now 
in  this  trouble?  He  had  fought  his  way  alone  through 
the  world  for  eight  years,  and  he  was  in  no  need  of 
friendship  and  its  consolations.  She  must  put  him  from 
her  thoughts,  for  there  was  work  still  for  her  to  do, 
rendered  even  more  vital  by  the  night's  event. 

Had  that  really  been  a  triumphant  smile  on  Ronald's 
countenance  as  he  watched  the  destruction  of  the  ware- 
house and  store,  or  was  it  merely  a  figment  of  her 
imagination,  a  distortion  seen  through  the  smoke?  His 
slurs  at  the  Northern  Star  outfit  could  be  accounted  for 
easily  enough  in  view  of  the  fact  that  his  father  was 
their  enemy,  but  had  he  a  guilty  knowledge  beforehand 
that  the  fire  was  to  take  place  ? 

The  next  morning  early  found  Jane  at  the  scene  of 
the  ruins.  Huge,  blackened  heaps  of  debris  which  still 
smoldered  and  smoked  viciously  were  all  that  was  left 
of  the  building,  and  her  heart  sank  within  her.  The  men 
could  get  along  somehow  without  their  stores  until  a 
steamer  could  bring  a  fresh  supply,  but  what  of  the  kegs 
of  spikes  and  bolts  and  the  rest  of  the  material  without 
which  the  road  could  not  go  on?  Were  they  to  be  de- 
feated no.w  when  a  bare  fortnight  or  so  would  have 


206  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

brought  the  road  up  to  the  glacier  bed  which  Barney 
Hoyt  had  said  was  the  crucial  spot? 

While  she  stood  forlornly  contemplating  the  ruined 
mass,  Jud  Pittinger  appeared  across  the  street  and 
waddled  quickly  over  to  her. 

"I  guess  you're  out  of  a  job,  Miss  Jane."  He  tried 
to  smile,  but  his  fat  face  was  drawn  and  twisted,  and 
his  mild  eyes  flashed. 

"They  did  it,  the  Unatika!"  Jane  exclaimed.  "You 
have  heard  about  the  note  poor  Pietro  tried  to  bring 
to  me  when  they  killed  him?" 

Jud  nodded. 

"If  I  was  a  swearin'  man,  Miss  Jane,  I  could  maybe 
tell  you  a  little  of  how  I  feel!"  he  confided.  "I  man- 
aged to  save  the  company  books  and  most  of  the  tobacco, 
but  all  that  was  left  of  that  new-fangled  stock  has  gone 
with  the  rest  of  the  supplies.  And  the  worst  of  it  is, 
nobody  knows  how  they  did  it,  consarn  them!  I  was 
waitin'  on  two  or  three  of  the  clearin'  gang  that  had 
got  off  the  three  o'clock  shift  and  had  been  sweepin'  up 
since,  when  all  at  once  the  whole  outside  of  the  store 
seemed  to  bu'st  into  flame!  Seemed  like  there  was  a 
lot  of  little  explosions,  too.  It  was  creosote  all  right, 
mixed  with  kerosene  and  a  little  powder  here  and  there. 
I'm  a  God-fearin'  man,  Miss  Jane,  but  I  certainly  would 
like  to  get  my  hands  on  them  that  did  it,  just  once!" 

"If  you  saved  the  tobacco,  can't  we  open  up  a  little 
stall  somewhere  and  sell  it  to  the  men,  Mr.  Pittinger?" 
Jane  asked  suddenly.  "Wouldn't  it  rather  counteract 
the  discouragement  they  must  feel  in  their  work  if  they 
could  realize  that  we  weren't  quite  wiped  out?" 

"Well,  I  swan !"    Jud  gazed  at  her  admiringly.    "What 


THE    MESSAGE  207 

do  you  know  about  your  thinkin'  of  what  Mr.  Hoyt  calls 
their  morale,  too !  We're  going  to  do  just  that.  Big 
Jim  says  he'll  knock  up  a  shack  in  the  next  couple  of 
days  here,  and  you  and  me  will  be  doin'  business  right 
at  the  old  stand.  But  meantime  there  ain't  a  thing  you 
can  do  around  here,  Miss  Jane,  and  your  young  man 
is  waitin'  on  Ma  Heaney's  steps  for  you " 

"If  you  mean  Mr.  Winfield,  he's  not  my  young  man!" 
Jane  retorted  hotly.  "I  wouldn't  have  him  if  he  were 
the  last  one  on  earth!" 

"I'm  certainly  glad  to  hear  it !"  Jud  said  in  a  relieved 
fashion.  "That  spindle-shanked  dude  ain't  your  style, 
Miss  Jane,  if  you'll  excuse  me  for  sayin'  so.  It  beats 
all,  though,  how  you  girls  can  fritter  your  time  away!" 

Jane  laughed  at  him. 

"You  let  me  know  when  you  are  ready  to  open  up 
shop  and  I'll  be  on  hand!"  she  announced.  "Don't 
you  worry  about  me,  Mr.  Pittinger !" 

But  her  spirits  sank  as  she  turned  and  started  back 
up  the  street  once  more.  She  was  in  no  mood  to  en- 
counter Ronald  just  then,  yet  it  seemed  inevitable,  for 
at  her  approach  he  crossed  and  stood  waiting  for  her. 

"Good-morning !"  he  said  gayly.  "It's  an  ill  wind  that 
blows  nobody  good,  isn't  it?  Since  the  store  exists  no 
longer,  you  will  have  an  indefinite  sort  of  holiday,  won't 
you?" 

A  wift  inspiration  came  to  Jane  and  summoning  all 
her  determination,  she  smiled. 

"Not  for  long,  I  am  afraid,  for  they  saved  some  of 
iheir  stock  and  they  are  going  to  put  up  a  temporary 
shack,  but  I'll  have  a  few  days,  anyway!  You  don't 


208  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

know  how  glad  I  am  to  get  away  from  behind  that  old 
counter !" 

"I  should  think  so,  a  girl  like  you !"  Ronald  fell  into 
step  beside  her.  "Why  do  you  stay  here,  anyway?  It 
is  no  place  for  you,  and  I  don't  believe  the  Northern 
Star  people  will  ever  complete  that  road." 

"Why  not?"  Jane's  heart  was  beating  fast.  "They 
are  a  big  company,  aren't  they?" 

"Don't  you  know?"  He  replied  to  her  question  with 
another.  "Don't  you  even  know  who  you  are  working 
for?" 

"Just  that  it's  the  Northern  Star,"  Jane  responded  in- 
nocently. "I  suppose  it  is  some  big  combination  back 
East." 

Ronald  laughed. 

"It's  only  a  couple  of  kids — the  last  of  a  family  that 
went  to  the  wall  two  years  ago,"  he  informed  her.  "They 
bought  in  the  Northern  Star  mine  on  a  shoe-string,  and 
they  haven't  enough  to  finance  it  or  even  finish  the  road, 
now  that  their  materials  are  gone.  If  you  stick  you 
will  be  out  of  a  job  in  a  few  weeks  anyway,  and  I  wish 
you  would  come  back  to  the  States.  I'll  find  something 
more  suitable  for  you  to  do,  with  a  bigger  salary  and 
then,  too,  I  can  see  you  sometimes.  What  is  the  good 
of  waiting  until  the  crash  comes?" 

"How  do  you  know  all  this?"  Jane  asked  in  a  curi- 
ously repressed  voice. 

"Oh,  I've  been  talking  to  the  Unatika  people ;  the  outfit 
working  for  the  other  company,  you  know,"  replied 
Ronald,  carelessly.  "They  say  yours  hasn't  a  chance. 
Besides,  one  of  their  men  was  killed  last  night  by  a 
Northern  Star  gang  and  they  are  out  for  blood;  they've 


THE   MESSAGE  209 

sent  for  the  marshal  from  Juneau,  and  when  he  starts 
an  inquiry,  I  fancy  your  people  will  lie  down  and  take 
their  medicine.  Say,  where  are  we  going?" 

They  had  passed  the  end  of  Main  Street  and  while 
he  talked  Jane  had  led  him  out  along  the  old  sledge 
track  which  wound  away  to  the  north  over  the  tundra. 
No  habitations  lay  before  them,  but  just  a  little  way 
beyond  was  a  secluded  group  of  cottonwood  trees  which 
she  had  investigated  once  on  a  solitary  ramble.  The 
conversation  had  started  propitiously.  Ronald  was  in 
a  confidential  mood,  and  if  she  could  lead  him  on  to 
divulge  the  knowledge  which  she  sought,  this  wretched 
farce  might  end  once  and  for  all. 

"I'd  love  to  take  a  good  walk,  wouldn't  you?"  She 
looked  smilingly  into  his  eyes.  "It  hasn't  rained  to-day 
and  I  think  the  sun  is  trying  to  come  out.  There  is  the 
darlingest  little  brook  up  there  among  the  cottonwood 


trees 


"Oh,  all  right,"  Ronald  agreed.  "I'm  not  crazy  about 
this  mud  but  I'll  go  anywhere  with  you,  Jane.  I  was 
afraid  I  had  offended  you  last  night,  when  I  tried  to 
tease  you  about  Hoyt.  Of  course,  I  know  you  don't 
really  care  anything  about  him." 

"I  should  think  not!"  Jane  tossed  her  head.  "I 
didn't  like  your  knocking  the  outfit,  but  I  thought  a  great 
big  company  was  back  of  us.  Father  and  I  would  not 
have  come  all  this  way  if  we  had  known  it  was  only 
just  somebody  who  was  likely  to  fail  any  time  and  leave 
us  stranded.  I  believe  I  will  speak  to  him  about  going 

home,  but  Brooklyn  is  a  long  way  off " 

"So  you  live  in  Brooklyn!  You  never  would  tell  me 
before!"  Ronald  cried  triumphantly.  "I'll  be  home  my- 


210  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

self  in  the  early  autumn  and  we  can  see  each  other  a 
lot  if  only  you  won't  stick  up  here.  I'll  take  you  to 
places  in  town  you've  never  seen,  and  we'll  have  some 
wonderful  times!  Say  that  you  will  come  back,  Jane! 
I  can«do.a  lot  for  you  and  I  will,  if  you  are  only  nice 
to  me." 

"But  I  cannot  leave  unless  I'm  perfectly  sure  that  the 
Northern  Star  is  going  to  fail,"  Jane  objected.  "I — I'd 
love  to  be  back  in  the  East  and  have  some  good  times 
with  you!  It  would  be  wonderful!  I  never  had  a 
chance  before.  Would  you  take  me  to  a  theater  on 
Broadway  and  one  of  those  great  big  restaurants  where 
all  the  rich  people  go?" 

She  was  afraid  that  she  was  overdoing  it,  but  Ronald 
smirked  fatuously. 

"Take  you  anywhere  your  little  heart  desires!"  he 
promised.  "I'm  crazy  about  you,  dear,  I  tell  you !  It 
will  be  like  heaven  after  this  mud  and  squalor!  I  will 
give  you  a  letter  to  a  friend  of  mine  who  will  place 
you  in  a  much  better  position  right  away.  Get  your 
father  to  leave  with  you  on  the  next  steamer  and  I'll 
go  with  you  as  far  as  Ladysmith.  Will  you,  Jane?" 

"But  the  company,"  Jane  faltered.  "Suppose  it 
weren't  true?  These  Unatika  people  may  have  been 
lying  to  you.  Why  should  they  tell  all  that  to  you,  a 
stranger  ?" 

"Oh,  they  know  who  I  am,  all  right,"  Ronald  said 
loftily. 

Jane  shook  her  head. 

"I  couldn't  think  of  dragging  father  all  the  way  back 
so  soon  after  we  came  unless  I  had  better  proof  than 
that.  Of  course,  I  don't  doubt  your  word,"  she  added 


THE   MESSAGE  211 

hastily,    "but  we  don't  trust  the  Unatika  people,  you 
know." 

"Not  the  employees,  maybe."  Ronald  paused  and  then 
went  on  impetuously.  "I  understand  there  has  been 
bad  blood  between  them  and  the  Northern  Star  outfit, 
but  if  you  won't  say  anything  about  it,  I  will  tell  you 
something  you  will  believe.  My  father  owns  the  Unatika 
mine." 

Jane  drew  a  deep  breath.  So  her  suspicions  had  been 
right  after  all  and  they  were  indeed  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy ! 

"You  don't  mean  he  owns  it  now,  do  you?  Perhaps 
he  is  going  to  buy  it,  and  that's  why  you  came  up  here?" 
She  must  be  sure! 

"He  developed  it  from  the  beginning;  as  soon  as  he 
learned  about  the  Northern  Star  he  sent  a  man  up  here 
who  discovered  the  Unatika  right  beside  it  and  Dad 
bought  it  in.  Now  will  you  believe  me  when  I  tell  you 
that  the  other  outfit  are  bound  to  fail?" 

They  had  reached  the  clump  of  cottonwoods  and  Jane 
advanced  beneath  them  and  then  drew  back. 

"Oh,  dear!  We  can't  go  on!  It's  too  wet  and  the 
trees  are  dripping!  Of  course  I  believe  you,  and  I — 
I'll  speak  to  father  the  minute  I  get  home.  I  won't  tell 
him  what  you  have  told  me,  but  just  that  I'm  tired  of 
it  up  here,  and  I'll  try  to  persuade  him  to  go  back 
East." 

"Wait!"  Ronald  tried  to  draw  her  back  beneath  the 
dripping  shelter  of  the  cottonwoods  once  more,  but  she 
laughingly  eluded  him,  and  if  there  was  a  feverish 
quality  in  her  gayety,  he  was  too  infatuated  to  observe  it. 

"We  must  go  back  or  I  don't  know  what  father  will 


212  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

say,  and  we  don't  want  him  to  be  angry  now,"  she  said. 
"He  knows  I  haven't  any  work  at  the  store,  when  there 
isn't  any  store  to  work  in !  Will  you  take  me  for  a  ride 
this  afternoon?" 

An  hour  later  Jane,  breathless  and  disheveled  of  hair, 
confronted  Big  Jim  Bowers  at  the  door  of  the  general 
office. 

"Mr.  Bowers,  I  want  you  to  do  something  for  me 
and — and  ask  no  questions."  She  was  very  pale  and 
there  was  a  curious  gleam  in  her  eyes.  "There  is  some- 
thing that  Mr.  MacLeod  must  know  immediately;  it  is 
of  the  utmost  importance  to  the  Northern  Star  Com- 
pany, and  the  mails  are  too  slow.  Mr.  MacLeod  said 
that  if  ever  I  required  any  special  service  of  you  I  was 
to  give  you  this." 

She  held  out  an  envelope,  and  the  amazed  superin- 
tendent took  it  and  broke  the  seal. 

"Dear  Mr.  Bowers:"  he  read,  in  Adam  MacLeod's 
small  precise  hand.  "Give  the  young  lady  who  presents 
this  to  you  any  assistance  that  lies  in  your  power  and 
discuss  it  with  no  one.  She  has  the  fullest  confidence 
of  the  company,  and  is  on  a  special,  private  mission." 

"I  might  have  known,  Miss,"  he  said  slowly  as  he 
looked  up  at  her  once  more.  "I'm  to  say  nothing  to 
Mr.  Hoyt?" 

"Not  unless  I  give  you  leave,  Mr.  Bowers.  I  want 
your  most  trustworthy  man  to  go  immediately  by  the 
fastest  route  to  the  nearest  wireless  station,  and  relay 
a  message  to  Mr.  MacLeod." 

"That  will  be  Juneau."  Big  Jim  seemed  still  dazed 
by  the  revelation  which  had  been  made  to  him.  "I'll 
send  Harve  Dugdale,  if  he  will  suit  you,  Miss." 


THE   MESSAGE  213 

"He  will  do  splendidly,  if  he  has  quite  recovered  from 
last  night,"  she  replied.  "You  must  give  some  excuse 
to  Mr.  Hoyt;  tell  him  that  the  Unatika  people  have 
sent  for  a  marshal  from  Juneau  and  mean  to  accuse 
some  of  our  men  of  poor  Pietro's  murder.  It's  true, 
too.  Say  that  you're  sending  a  message  to  the  marshal 
yourself.  And  please  don't  call  'Miss'  like  that;  I'm 
still  just  Jane  Peddar." 

Big  Jim  held  out  his  hand. 

"Whoever  you  are,  I — I  want  to  shake  hands  with 
you,"  he  said  somewhat  unsteadily.  "I  am  at  your  ser- 
vice always — Miss  Jane  !" 

In  half  an  hour  Harve  Dugdale  was  floundering 
through  the  mud  toward  Juneau  in  a  crazy  jitney  im- 
pounded from  the  proprietor  of  the  Full  Blast  and  the 
message  he  bore  read : 

"Winfield  owns  Unatika,     Warn  Geddes,    Janey." 


CHAPTER  XVI 
THE  COMING  OF  THE  "GREY  GULL" 

RONALD  waited  in  vain  that  afternoon  for  the 
capricious  Jane  to  appear  and  finally  mounted 
his  own  horse  and  rode  off  in  high  dudgeon. 
He  would  keep  away  from  the  little  minx  for  a  few 
days  and  teach  her  a  lesson;  she  must  learn  that  she 
could  not  play  fast  and  loose  with  him  as  though  he 
were  a  mere  counter-jumper  in  her  own  class! 

Meanwhile,  Jane  was  curled  up  comfortably  on  the 
cot  in  the  kitchen-living  room  of  the  shack,  watching  Ma 
Heaney  at  her  self-imposed  task  of  pie  making.  At  the 
arrival  of  their  visitor  Peddar  had  hurriedly  departed 
for  the  town,  and  the  two  women  were  alone. 

"I  tell  you,  if  I  was  Mr.  Hoyt  I  wouldn't  wait  for 
no  more  'accidents'  to  happen.  After  that  note  that 
poor  Pietro  wrote  to  you,  I'd  just  get  a  posse  o'  my 
own  men  together  and  sail  right  in  and  clean  out  the 
whole  Unatika  outfit!"  Ma  Heaney  gesticulated  ex- 
pressively with  her  floury  hands. 

"If  he  did  that  they  could  appeal  to  the  authorities 
at  Juneau  and  put  the  Northern  Star  out  of  business," 
Jane  smiled.  "Mr.  Hoyt  can  do  the  same  thing,  of 
course,  when  once  he  can  catch  any  of  them  in  the  act, 
but  unfortunately  that  note  was  too  vague  to  serve  as 
actual  proof  that  the  Unatika  people  set  fire  to  the 

214 


THE  COMING  OF  THE  "GREY  GULL"    215 

warehouse  and  store  last  night,  and  no  one  saw  them 
do  it.  Malison  must  be  at  the  back  of  it,  and  I  think 
someone  else  had  a  guilty  knowledge  that  it  was  going 
to  be  done;  it  would  surprise  you  very  much  if  I  could 
tell  you  who,  Mrs.  Heaney." 

Ma  Heaney  stared. 

"Nothin'  would  surprise  me  that  any  o'  them  pulled 
off,"  she  remarked.  "I've  got  them  to  thank  for  it  that 
my  house  is  all  smoked  out,  the  dirty  rats !  I'm  lettin' 
it  air  now ;  thank  the  Lord  the  sun's  out." 

"You  don't  think  Malison  started  the  fire  himself?" 
Jane  asked. 

"Not  him!  He  won't  have  the  nerve  to  show  himself 
in  Katalak  again  unless  he  had  a  gang  o'  his  men  with 
him.  There's  a  lot  o'  scum  in  his  outfit,  though,  that 
will  do  the  dirty  work  for  him  if  he  pays  them  well 
enough,  and  I  guess  the  Unatika  people  themselves  have 
give  him  orders  to  drive  the  Northern  Star  out  at  all 
costs.  Did  you  hear  about  Etta  Carney?" 

"The  girl  who  was  in  love  with  Malison?  No.  What 
about  her?"  Jane  glanced  up  in  sudden  interest. 

"I  told  you  she  cut  up  somethin'  terrible  when  he  was 
run  out  of  town."  Ma  Heaney  lifted  the  pie  plate  on 
the  tips  of  five  pudgy  fingers  and  cut  the  superfluous 
dough  from  its  rim.  "Well,  she  was  always  kind  o' 
a  nice  little  thing  as  them  girls  go;  she  worked  as 
capper  for  Cliff  Bishop  over  at  the  Full  Blast " 

"What  is  'capper?'"  Jane  interrupted. 

"Cliff  Bishop  is  the  faro  dealer,"  Ma  Heaney  ex- 
plained. "Etta  used  to  get  talkin'  to  the  strangers  at 
the  bar,  and  steer  'em  over  to  the  game  and  get  her 
percentage  if  they  lost." 


216  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

"Goodness !"  ejaculated  Jane.  "And  you  call  her  a 
'nice  little  thing !'  " 

"Well,  so  she  is.  Her  fall  guys  didn't  always  lose, 
by  a  long  sight,  for  Cliff  deals  a  straight  game,  and  as 
far  as  any  of  'em  ever  got  with  her  was  a  drink  and 
a  smile.  Then  Malison  came  along  and  she  fell  in  love 
with  him,  but  I  guess  he  got  cold  feet  when  she  went 
around  bragging  to  the  other  girls  that  they  was  goin' 
to  be  married.  She  just  wouldn't  give  him  up,  though, 
and  when  the  boys  run  him  out  she  went  all  to  pieces. 
She  wasn't  any  too  well  before,  what  with  this  climate 
and  all,  and  now  she's  took  to  her  bed." 

"Poor  thing!"  Jane  cried  softly.  "Where  does  she 
live?" 

"She  shares  a  shack  with  Pearl  Sparkes  at  the  end 
of  Harbor  Street.  Pearl  dances  at  the  Happy  Days, 
you  know."  Ma  Heaney  added:  "If  she'd  only  get  up 
enough  spunk  to  go  back  to  Frisco  where  she  come 
from,  the  boys  would  pass  the  hat  for  her  ticket,  but 
her  nerve's  gone.  I  took  her  in  some  broth  the  other 
day,  but  she  wouldn't  even  speak  to  me  and  just  turned 
her  face  to  the  wall.  You  can't  do  nothin'  with  a  girl 
like  that." 

Jane  wondered  if  the  last  statement  were  true. 
Surely  there  must  be  some  way  of  helping  a  girl  like 
Etta  Carney ;  a  girl  who  could  keep  her  self-respect,  dis- 
torted as  her  conception  of  it  might  be,  even  in  a  gam- 
bling saloon.  She  tried  to  visualize  what  it  must  be 
like  to  be  wretchedly  unhappy,  ill  and  destitute  and 
alone  in  a  strange  land,  and  the  mental  picture  made 
her  shudder. 

Peddar  returned  and  they  sat  down  to  Ma  Heaney's 


THE  COMING  OF  THE  "GREY  GULL"    217 

bountiful  supper,  but  Jane  ate  little,  and  she  was  un- 
usually silent  and  thoughtful  while  she  helped  the  older 
woman  to  clear  away  the  dishes. 

Ma  Heaney  departed  to  set  her  aired-out  lodging  house 
to  rights,  and  Peddar  was  smoking  peacefully  on  the 
porch  enjoying  the  pale  sunshine,  when  Jane  made  her 
appearance  with  a  basket  on  her  arm. 

"I'm  going  down  town  for  a  little  while,"  she  an- 
nounced. "Don't  wait  up  for  me  if  you  want  to  go  to 
bed." 

"I'll  go  with  you,  miss "  Peddar  half  rose. 

"No;  I'm  going  alone."  She  spoke  decidedly.  "You 
needn't  act  like  an  old  policeman,  Peddar!  I  shan't  get 
into  any  trouble." 

"I'm  not  so  sure."  Peddar  sighed  heavily.  "You're 
a  changed  young  lady  since  we  came  up  here,  miss,  if  you 
don't  mind  my  saying  so,  and  I'm  not  at  all  sure  that 
Mr.  Geddes  would  approve  of  this  Mr.  Winfield." 

"I'm  quite  sure  he  wouldn't!"  Jane  retorted  with  a 
little  chuckle.  "However,  Peddar  dear,  I'm  twenty-one, 
you  know,  and  I  can  marry  Jud  Pittinger  if  I  like!" 

Peddar's  groan  followed  her  down  the  walk,  but  she 
paid  no  heed.  The  interview  before  her  presented  some 
unpleasant  possibilities,  yet  she  did  not  falter.  Here 
was  just  another  girl  like  herself,  but  a  girl  who  needed 
care  and  a  little  friendliness.  Jane  knew  that  she  would 
be  the  least  welcome  of  perhaps  anyone  in  Katalak,  yet 
surely  there  must  be  some  way  in  which  she  could  over- 
come the  other's  sadly  misplaced  jealousy  and  an- 
tagonism. 

She  found  the  little  habitation  at  the  end  of  Harbor 
Street — a  miserablez  weather-beaten  shack  with  its  roof 


2i8  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

partly  caved  in — and  knocked  at  the  door.  There  was 
no  response  although  she  tried  again  and  again,  and 
finally  she  turned  the  knob  and  entered. 

A  couch  with  a  faded,  once  gay  cover  stood  against 
the  wall,  a  few  chairs  in  various  stages  of  dilapidation 
were  scattered  about  and  in  the  center  of  the  room  was 
a  table  with  a  filthy  red  cloth  on  which  stood  a  half- 
empty  whiskey  bottle  and  a  plate  containing  fragments 
of  cold,  greasy  food.  The  walls  were  hung  with  cheap 
lithographs.  Ashes  and  cigarette  ends  littered  the  floor 
and  the  rusty  stove  in  the  corner  smoked  dismally. 

Jane  shuddered  as  she  glanced  about  her.  The  room 
was  empty,  but  from  a  half -opened  door  adjoining  there 
came  a  rustle  as  though  something  had  moved  within. 

Summoning  all  her  courage  Jane  stepped  to  the  door. 
A  chest  of  drawers  with  a  cracked  mirror  first  met 
her  gaze,  then  a  narrow  cot  with  a  chair  beside  it  on 
which  was  a  glass  containing  watered  condensed  milk 
and  a  saucer  of  limp  crackers.  On  the  cot  lay  a  girl 
with  dark,  disheveled  hair  and  eyes  which  burned  into 
hers  in  half-incredulous  surprise  and  resentment. 

"G — good-evening,"  Jane  stammered,  with  a  tremulous 
smile.  "Ma  Heaney  told  me  that  you  were  ill  and  I 
thought  you  might  like  something  light  and  dainty  to 
eat " 

The  girl  sat  up  suddenly  and  pointed  with  a  thin  out- 
flung  arm  to  the  door. 

"You  go!"  Her  voice  was  low  and  trembled  with 
passion.  "I  don't  want  anything  you've  got  or  anything 
to  do  with  you!  How  dare  you  come  here,  you  of  all 
people  ?" 

"Because,"  Jane's  voice  was  steady  now,  and  very 


THE  COMING  OF  THE  "GREY  GULL"    219 

sweet,  "because  I  think  girls  ought  to  be  friendly  and 
help  each  other  when  they're  all  alone  in  a  place  like 
this,  don't  you?  I  know  you  dislike  me,  and  blame  me 
for  what  happened  to  your  friend  but  indeed,  indeed 
it  was  not  my  fault!  You  don't  believe  me  now,  of 
course,  but  you  don't  even  know  me.  Won't  you  wait 
until  you  do  before  you  pass  judgment?  If  the  men 
can  practice  fair  play " 

"Fair  play!"  Etta  Carney  repeated  with  a  derisive 
laugh  which  ended  in  a  sob.  "You  to  talk  of  fair  play! 
If  you  didn't  want  him  yourself,  why  did  you  take  him 
away  from  me?" 

"I  didn't,  and  he  didn't  want  me,  really."  Jane  sup- 
pressed a  shudder.  "It  was  just  a — a  new  face,  don't 
you  see?  I  wasn't  responsible  for  what  the  boys  did. 
But  don't  let  us  talk  about  that.  Won't  you  let  me  help 
you  just  as  I  would  want  you  to  help  me  if  I  were  ill 
and  alone?" 

The  girl  fell  back  weakly  upon  her  dingy  pillow. 

"Well,  you  are  a  queer  one !"  she  sighed.  "I  wouldn't 
have  come  near  you  if  I  died  for  it!  What  do  you 
want  with  me,  anyway?" 

The  anger  in  her  voice  had  given  way  to  wonderment, 
and  Jane  put  down  her  basket  and  advanced  to  the  cot. 

"Just  to  make  you  comfortable.  If  you'll  let  me,  I'm 
going  to  heat  some  water  and  bathe  you  and  then  change 
your  bed;  you'll  sleep  ever  so  much  better  in  fresh 
sheets." 

Etta  laughed  drearily. 

"I  don't  know  where  you  think  you  are !"  she  ex- 
claimed. "There  isn't  such  a  thing  in  the  shack !  I  used 
to  try  to  keep  things  halfway  decent,  for  Pearl  never 


220  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

would  bother,  but  I  don't  care  any  more;  I  don't  even 
care  if  I  am  dirty !  I  wish  you  would  go  away  and  let 
ane  alone!  That's  all  I  want;  to  be  left  alone!  Ma 
Heaney  is  an  interfering  old  busybody !" 

"With  a  great  big  heart."  Jane  smiled  again.  "You 
don't  care  now  because  you  are  ill,  and  of  course,  you 
want  to  be  left  alone.  I'll  be  as  quick  as  ever  I  can. 
I  rather  thought  your  friend  Pearl  would  be  too  busy 
to  look  after  you  and  keep  things  clean  and  all,  so  I 
brought  along  some  fresh  linen  and  my  best  night-dress. 
It  always  helped  me  to  get  well,  to  look  as  pretty  as 
possible." 

Etta  stared  but  made  no  further  objection,  and  Jane 
went  about  her  ministrations  with  real  joy  in  her  heart. 

When  the  sick  girl,  clean  and  refreshed,  was  back  in 
the  newly  made  cot,  Jane  brushed  her  short  dark  hair  and 
then  uncovered  the  dishes  she  had  brought. 

"There  isn't  much,"  she  said  apologetically.  "One 
can't  manage  very  much  up  here  that  is  tempting,  but 
there  is  some  jelly  and  I'm  going  to  heat  the  broth " 

She  vanished  into  the  kitchen  and  when  she  reappeared 
Etta  was  crying  softly.  Jane  affected  not  to  observe  her 
tears  but  fed  her  and  chattered  cheerfully  until  she 
brought  the  ghost  of  a  smile  to  the  pale  face. 

The  basket  repacked,  she  approached  the  cot  once 
more  and  held  out  her  hand. 

"Good-night,"  she  said,  "I'll  come  to-morrow,  if  you 
will  let  me.  We  have  some  eggs  that  are  almost  fresh 
and  some  canned  peaches " 

The  girl  clasped  the  outstretched  hand  in  her  own 
burning  one  and  drew  Jane  down  close  to  her. 

"I  wasn't  fair!"  she  sobbed.     "I  blamed  you  because 


THE  COMING  OF  THE  "GREY  GULL"    221 

I  wouldn't  admit  even  to  myself  that  he  hadn't  meant 
what  he  said!  I  couldn't  bear  the  thought  that  he  was 
tired !  He'd  promised  to  marry  me  and  take  me  back 
to  'Frisco  when  the  job  was  done  here  and  I  had  just 
lived  in  that  promise,  trying  to  shut  my  eyes  even  when 
I  saw  what  a  beast  he  wasl  If  I  could  be  glad  of  any- 
thing, I'd  be  almost  glad  now  that  I  didn't  marry  him, 
but  I  don't  want  to  go  on!" 

"You  will,  though,  as  soon  as  you  are  stronger,  and 
I'll  see  that  you  get  back  to  'Frisco  if  yoa  would  like 
to  go.  Now  good-night,  and  try  to  rest.  I  will  be  over 
in  the  morning." 

Jane  went  happily  home,  but  the  next  day,  as  with 
basket  replenished  she  took  her  way  to  the  little  shack 
on  Harbor  Street,  she  encountered  Big  Jim  and  the 
superintendent's  labored  air  of  surprise  warned  her  that 
the  meeting  was  no  accidental  one. 

"Miss  Jane,"  he  began,  awkwardly  enough,  "a  girl 
named  Pearl  Sparkes  has  spread  it  all  over  town  that  you 
have  been  doing  things  for  her  sick  friend  Etta  Carney, 
and  I  hope  you  won't  take  it  amiss  if  I  say  a  word.  It 
is  mighty  good  of  you  to  do  it,  but  that  Etta — well,  she's 
straight  enough  but  she's  tough  and  not  your  sort.  I 
wouldn't  interfere  only  after  that  note  of  Mr.  MacLeod's 
I  know  you  aren't  just  the  assistant  storekeeper;  I  would 
have  seen  from  the  first  if  I  had  had  eyes  in  my  head 
that  you  were  a  lady,  and  I  feel  sort  of  responsible 
for  you " 

"So  does  Fed — father,  and  Jud  Pittinger  and  ever  so 
many  more!"  she  laughed.  "I  appreciate  your  motive, 
Mr.  Bowers,  but  Etta  is  just  a  girl,  and  sick  and  alone, 
and  I  don't  believe  I  will  be  contaminated !  How  is  the 


222  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

work  on  the  road  getting  on?  They  didn't  have  to 
suspend  operations  because  of  the  fire,  did  they?" 

"No,  thank  God !  We  managed  to  save  enough  from 
the  warehouse  to  go  on  with  until  a  new  supply  of  mate- 
rial can  be  brought  up,  and  Harve  is  going  to  send  a 
special  wire  from  Juneau." 

"Do  you  know  what  was  in  the  one  he  is  sending  for 
me?"  Jane  asked  suddenly.  "I  am  going  to  trust  you, 
Mr.  Bowers,  for  I've  been  thinking  it  over  and  I  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  you  ought  to  know.  You 
must  all  have  thought  it  very  strange  for  me  to  take  up 
with  a  stranger  like  Ronald  Winfield,  and  neglect  my 
work  at  the  store,  but  you  see  he  wasn't  a  stranger;  I 
knew  who  he  was  the  minute  I  saw  him,  and  I  guessed 
why  he  had  come,  but  I  meant  to  find  out  from  his  own 
lips  if  I  had  to  make  him  fall  in  love  with  me  to  do  it! 
Do  you  know  why  he  is  here?  It's  to  push  the  fight 
against  us,  and  I  am  morally  certain  he  knew  beforehand 
that  the  warehouse  was  to  be  set  on  fire,  if  he  didn't 
actually  order  it.  The  message  I  sent  to  Mr.  MacLeod 
said :  'Winfield  owns  Unatika.'  " 

"Good  God!     That  little  skunk " 

"No.  His  father,  and  a  greater  scoundrel  than  Ronald. 
Have  you  ever  heard  of  Gordon  Winfield?" 

Big  Jim  emitted  a  long,  low  whistle. 

"So  he's  the  nigger  in  the  woodpile!  Biggest  crook 
in  the  game !  I'm  mighty  glad  you  told  me,  Miss  Jane ; 
this  Ronald  boy  won't  be  out  of  sight  of  one  or  another 
of  our  men  for  the  rest  of  his  stay  here.  And  to  think 
I  told  your  father  that  he  ought  to  speak  to  you  about 
going  around  so  much  with  him !"  The  superintendent's 


honest  face  flushed.  "I  might  have  known  you  had  some- 
thing up  your  sleeve!" 

"I  don't  see  how  you  could!"  Jane  cried  gayly.  "If 
I  wasn't  the  most  infatuated  girl  north  of  Seattle  it  was 
because  I  am  not  a  good  enough  actress,  but  I  fooled 
Ronald !" 

"You  sure  did!"  Big  Jim's  face  sobered.  "Don't  yau 
think  that  Hoyt  should  know?  Can't  I  just  tell  him  who 
owns  the  Unatika  and  what  this  bright  lad  is  here  for, 
without  letting  on  where  I  learned  it?" 

"Perhaps  it  would  be  best."  Jane  acquiesced  some- 
what reluctantly.  "But  I  don't  wish  anyone  to  know 
my  part  in  it  except  you;  this  is  as  important  as  that 
message  yesterday." 

"I  understand  and  I  will  obey  instructions,  Miss  Jane," 
he  responded.  "Only  look  out  for  trouble  when  that 
young  pinhead  realizes  that  we  are  on  his  trail." 

Two  days  passed  before  Ronald  suspected  that  he  was 
shadowed ;  two  long,  self -centered  days  during  which  he 
sulked  and  waited  for  Jane  to  approach  him  and  humbly 
beg  his  pardon  for  the  broken  engagement.  No  doubt 
as  to  the  state  of  her  feeling  for  him  entered  his  mind ; 
she  was  merely  too  sure  of  him,  and  trying  the  clumsy 
coquetry  of  her  class. 

But  gradually  it  was  borne  in  upon  him  that  wherever 
he  went  by  day  the  same  lantern- jawed  Yankee  in  rough 
working  clothes  seemed  to  be  in  the  immediate  vicinity, 
and  at  night  a  certain  beetle-browed  Hungarian  appeared 
to  have  nothing  better  to  do  than  to  patrol  the  walk  in 
front  of  Ma  Heaney's. 

Ronald  had  hung  about  town  in  the  hope  of  catching 
a  glimpse  of  Jane,  but  on  the  third  day,  in  a  state  of 


224  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

nerves  bordering  on  panic,  he  determined  to  put  his 
suspicions  as  to  the  espionage  upon  him  to  the  test. 

Taking  his  horse  he  rode  out  over  the  tundra  by  a 
circuitous  route  to  the  clump  of  cottonwoods  where  Jane 
had  led  him  on  their  walk  together,  and  in  their  shelter 
he  waited.  Presently  the  lantern- jawed  Yankee  ap- 
peared, his  long  legs  hunched  up  to  keep  from  dragging 
the  ground  on  either  side  of  his  shaggy  little  mount,  and 
drawing  rein  calmly  a  few  yards  away,  produced  a 
"chaw"  of  tobacco. 

Ronald  rode  furiously  up  to  him. 

"What's  the  meaning  of  this  ?"  he  fumed.  "How  dare 
you  follow  me  about?" 

"Easy  there,  stranger,"  the  other  drawled.  "One  white 
man  don't  use  that  tone  to  another  up  here.  I'm  takin' 
a  leetle  ride  for  my  health,  and  the  road's  free." 

"That's  a  lie!"  Ronald  cried  rashly.  "You've  been 
following  me  for  days,  and  I  want  to  know  what  you 
are  after!" 

The  Yankee  sighed  and  dismounted  by  the  simple 
process  of  putting  one  foot  down  on  the  ground  and 
swinging  the  other  leg  over  his  saddle. 

"When  folks  talk  'lies'  in  this  part  of  the  country, 
they  back  it  up  with  somethin'  more  than  hot  air,"  he 
announced.  "Get  off  that  plug  before  you're  yanked  off, 
and  put  up  your  hands." 

It  was  a  brief  and  inglorious  combat  and  at  its  con- 
clusion the  lantern-jawed  victor  lifted  Ronald,  bloody 
and  limp  and  weeping  with  impotent  rage,  into  his  saddle 
once  more  and  gravely  followed  him  back  to  town. 

Meanwhile,  Jane's  ministrations  had  worked  an  almost 
miraculous  cure,  and  Etta  was  about  again,  weak  and 


THE  COMING  OF  THE  "GREY  GULL"    225 

tottery,  but  with  a  hint  of  color  in  her  wan  cheeks,  and 
an  unwontedly  soft  glow  in  her  eyes. 

Peddar  was  virtuously  shocked  when  she  appeared 
shyly  one  day  at  the  shack  to  thank  her  new  friend,  but 
warned  by  Jane's  manner  that  he  must  make  her  feel 
welcome,  he  soon  grew  to  accept  her  as  he  had  the  vari- 
ous other  phenomena  which  in  the  past  six  weeks  had 
turned  his  settled  views  of  life  into  chaos. 

Ronald  appeared  no  more  on  the  street  of  Katalak, 
but  remained  in  his  room  at  Ma  Heaney's  waiting  in 
voluble  impatience  for  the  next  steamer  out.  The  Una- 
tika  people  had  made  no  further  move,  the  temporary 
store  was  nearing  completion,  and  save  for  the  fact  that 
she  saw  no  more  of  the  young  engineer  Jane  was  light 
of  heart,  when  all  at  once  the  final  blow  fell. 

"There's  a  beautiful  boat  in  the  harbor,  Miss  Jane," 
Etta  announced  one  morning  when  she  came  to  bring 
her  a  tiny  plant  which  she  had  been  fostering.  "You 
ought  to  see  it!  It's  called  the  'Grey  Gull'  and  Lew 
Nagle  saws  it  is  a  schooner  yacht,  a  private  one.  A  little 
rowboat  came  off  from  it,  and  brought  a  fine-looking 
gentleman  and  two  ladies,  and  they  had  on  the  grandest 
clothes!  Lew  was  down  near  the  breakwater  and  they 
stopped  and  asked  him  where  they  could  find  a  young 
man  named  Winfield,  and  he  directed  them  to  Ma 
Heaney's.  He  says  it  was  worth  two  bits  to  see  their 
faces — the  ladies',  I  mean — when  they  saw  what  kind 
of  a  place  it  was!  Why,  what's  the  matter?" 

For  Jane  had  turned  suddenly  pale,  and  her  hands 
gripped  the  nearest  chairback  as  if  for  support. 

"Did  you  see  them  yourself,  Etta?"  she  asked.    "Was 


226  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

one  of  the  ladies  dark  and  handsome,  and  the  other  tall 
and  slender  and  blonde?" 

"I  didn't  see  them,  but  that's  the  way  Lew  described 
them,  only  not  just  in  those  words.  Do  you  know 
them?" 

"I  know  of  them."  Jane  passed  her  hand  across  her 
eyes.  "Etta,  will  you  do  something  for  me?" 

"Anything  in  this  world!"  Etta  cried.  "I'm  just 
aching  to  do  something  to  make  up  for  how  horrid  I  was 
to  you!" 

"You  weren't,  dear,  but  please  go  as  quickly  as  you 
feel  able  to  and  bring  Mr.  Bowers  here.  No  matter 
where  he  is  or  what  he  is  doing  I  must  see  him  at  once. 
He  will  understand.  Don't  say  anything  to  anyone 
else " 

But  Etta  had  already  gone  and  Jane  sank  limply  into 
the  chair.  The  Winfields  had  arrived  en  masse,  and  the 
unequal  battle  for  the  Northern  Star  had  been  brought 
into  the  open  at  last! 


CHAPTER  XVII 
THE  WIDENED  BREACH 

HOW  long  she  sat  there  inert  Jane  never  knew. 
She  roused  herself  only  to  send  Peddar  on 
an  errand  that  would  keep  him  out  of  the 
way  for  an  hour,  and  then  sank  again  into  an  apathy 
of  dismay.  She  had  never  seen  Gordon  Winfield,  but 
the  very  name  filled  her  with  fear.  He  had  been  so 
ruthless,  so  tenacious  in  his  scheme  of  vengeance  upon 
them,  and  with  the  mine  protected  as  he  thought  only 
by  the  outfit  there  were  no  lengths  to  which  he  would 
not  go  to  drive  them  out  and  stop  the  building  of  the 
road. 

And  she  was  helpless  to  prevent  him  from  carrying 
out  his  plan!  With  Juneau  and  its  representatives  of 
the  law  miles  away  he  would  have  free  scope  for  his 
operations.  She  dared  not  even  show  herself  in  the 
streets  of  Katalak  again  lest  Adele  Everton  catch  sight  of 
her  and  betray  her  presence.  She  could  only  warn  the 
superintendent  and  sit  idly  by! 

But  gradually  as  she  waited  the  old  fighting  blood  that 
was  Jane's  heritage  asserted  itself,  and  fear  gave  way 
to  rage  and  an  indomitable  defiance.  The  first  cargo 
of  Winfield's  materials  had  arrived  and  his  surveyors 

227 


228  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

had  been  noticeably  active  on  a  line  parallel  with  the 
Northern  Star  single  track,  but  he  could  not  start  work 
yet  and  every  day  those  shining  rails  were  creeping  up 
nearer  and  nearer  to  the  glacier  bed.  Perhaps  they  had 
already  reached  it,  for  the  time  limit  which  Hoyt  had 
fixed  was  at  hand !  She  must  not  despair  yet ;  there  was 
still  a  fighting  chance ! 

So  it  was  that  when  Big  Jim's  massive  tread  sounded 
upon  the  porch  she  sprang  up  with  flashing  eyes  and  a 
bright  spot  of  color  in  either  cheek. 

"Mr.  Bowers,  have  you  seen  the  schooner  yacht  in 
the  harbor — Oh!"  She  uttered  the  exclamation  ki  the 
sudden  realization  that  he  was  not  alone. 

A  thick-set,  burly-looking  man  with  a  deeply  tanned 
face  and  rather  stern,  dark  eyes  accompanied  him,  and 
now  stood  gazing  keenly  at  Jane. 

"Miss  Peddar,  this  is  Henry  Rawlins,  deputy  marshal 
from  Juneau,"  Big  Jim  announced.  "He's  come  to  look 
into  the  murder  of  that  Italian,  Pietro.  I  told  him  how 
you  befriended  the  man,  and  the  circumstances  under 
which  his  body  was  found  and  if  you  have  kept  the  note 
addressed  to  you  that  was  on  him,  I  wish  you  would 
show  it  to  the  deputy  marshal.  I  told  him,  too,  about 
the  fire  and  the  other  dirty  work  that  has  been  going  on 
here,  and  I  guess  there  will  be  no  more  of  it." 

Jane  took  the  pitiful  little  note  from  the  drawer  in 
the  table  and  handed  it  to  the  official  who  read  it  and 
nodded  slowly. 

"I  think  that  about  cleans  it  up,"  he  said  in  a  deep, 
husky  voice.  "Thank  you,  Miss.  There  isn't  much 
chance  of  proving  the  murder  on  any  of  them,  for  no- 


THE  WIDENED  BREACH  229 

body  saw  it  done  and  they'll  all  stick  together,  but  at 
least  they  can't  put  it  off  on  any  of  the  Northern  Star 
outfit.  I'd  better  be  getting  back  to  town  now  and  size 
up  the  situation  in  regard  to  these  other  outrages.  See 
you  later,  Bowers." 

He  bowed  to  Jane  and  departed.  She  waited  until 
the  sound  of  his  footsteps  had  died  away  and  then 
turned  to  the  superintendent. 

"Did  you  meet  Etta?" 

He  nodded. 

"Thought  I'd  bring  the  deputy  marshal  along  in  case 
you  wanted  him." 

"No.  I  would  rather  tell  you  first  and  you  can  let 
him  know  as  much  as  is  necessary  later,  but  not  a  word 
more.  And  you  must  tell  nothing,  absolutely  nothing, 
to  Mr.  Hoyt." 

With  Grace  Winfield  there  in  that  very  town,  perhaps 
talking  to  him  at  that  moment  Jane  felt  that  she  would 
rather  die  than  call  upon  the  young  engineer  in  this 
emergency. 

"I  understand,"  Big  Jim  nodded  again  gravely.  "What 
is  it,  Miss  Jane?  Something  about  that  yacht?" 

"It  belongs  to  Gordon  Winfield.  He  and  his  niece 
and  her  companion  are  at  Ma  Heaney's  now,  conferring 
with  Ronald." 

Big  Jim  whistled. 

"He's  come  up  to  see  the  finish,  eh?  Well,  we'll  try 
to  make  it  as  interesting  as  we  can  for  him,"  he  declared. 
"He  won't  run  us  out  without  the  biggest  battle  that 
Alaska  ever  saw,  and  that's  going  some!" 

"There  is  something  greater  behind  it  all  than  you 


230  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

know  yet,  Mr.  Bowers,  something  that  means  far  more 
to  him  than  beating  us  out  on  the  road." 

"The  road  means  the  mine.  Of  course,  I  know 
that " 

"The  Unatika  and  Northern  Star  are  both  dummy  com- 
panies," Jane  spoke  quickly.  "I'm  going  to  tell  you  all 
I  can.  Winfield  is  the  deadliest  personal  enemy  of  the 
people  who  own  the  Northern  Star,  and  when  he  found 
out  who  were  back  of  that  company  he  sent  an  expert 
up  here  who  discovered  the  Unatika  mine  and  Winfield 
bought  it  in  to  get  the  others  out  by  hook  or  crook  and 
•wrest  the  mine  from  them.  Now  do  you  see?  He  will 
stop  at  nothing  to  gain  his  ends  and  there  will  be  no 
time  to  notify  the  representatives  of  the  Northern  Star 
in  New  York,  nor  is  there  anything  that  they  can  do. 
You'll  have  to  fight  it  out  with  Winfield  alone." 

"I  see,"  the  superintendent  replied  thoughtfully.  "I 
know  his  reputation  as  a  shrewd  customer  and  a  hard 
one,  and  if  a  question  of  personal  enmity  is  involved — 
well,  I  guess  we'll  have  our  work  cut  out  for  us,  but 
he  won't  beat  us,  at  that!  I  don't  see  why  the  owners 
of  the  Northern  Star  don't  come  up  themselves  if  they 
knew  what's  in  the  wind  and  take  a  hand." 

Jane  turned  her  head  away. 

"The  principal  owner  is  fighting  in  France,"  she  said 
very  softly. 

"Oh !"  Big  Jim  straightened  and  threw  back  his  mas- 
sive shoulders.  "That's  where  I  would  be  only  they 
wouldn't  take  me,  for  all  I'm  a  husk ;  got  a  heart's  that's 
on  the  bum,  they  tell  me,  but  it'll  stick  for  the  big  show 


THE  WIDENED  BREACH  231 

here.  Say,  Miss  Jane,  did  he  go  knowing  what  might 
happen  up  here?" 

"I — I  believe  so,"  Jane  murmured.  "I  suppose  he 
thought  it  was  his  higher  duty." 

"Let  me  tell  the  boys  just  that,  will  you?"  He  took 
a  quick  step  toward  her.  "Just  let  me  tell  them  where 
their  real  boss  is  and  why  he  went,  risking  everything. 
When  they  know  that,  if  it  conies  to  a  battle  they'll  be 
worth  ten  men  of  the  other  outfit." 

"Do  you  think  it  will  make  such  a  difference?"  Jane 
asked.  "They  are  mostly  foreigners,  aren't  they?" 

"They  are  Americans  in  theory,  even  the  Hungarians ! 
We  had  a  few  Bolsheviks  among  the  Russians,  but  I 
reformed  them."  Big  Jim  clenched  his  mighty  fist  and 
glanced  down  at  it  retrospectively.  "Let  them  know 
that  while  their  boss  is  fighting  for  them  he  expects 
them  to  fight  for  him  if  it's  necessary,  and  a  whole 
army  couldn't  stop  them !  It's  the  personal  element,  don't 
you  see,  Miss  Jane?  They've  been  working  for  their 
pay,  and  they'd  stick  up  for  their  own  outfit  to  a  certain 
point  because  they  like  young  Hoyt  and  they  are  dead 
sore  at  the  Unatika  crowd  for  the  dirty  work  they  have 
been  putting  over,  but  the  stuff  that'll  make  them  fight 
to  the  last  ditch  is  in  what  you  told  me  just  now !" 

"Very  well,  you  may  tell  them  then  if  you  think  best, 
but  no  one  must  know  where  you  learned  it,"  Jane 
warned  him.  "I've  told  you  all  I  can,  and  there  is 
nothing  more  that  I  can  do  to  help.  I'm  going  to  be 
very  ill." 

"What's  the  matter?"  Big. Jim's  face  changed  with 
almost  comical  swiftness,  but  Jane  did  not  smile. 


232  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

"I've  got  to  be,"  she  said  grimly.  "I  never  saw 
Gordon  Winfield  in  my  life,  but  there  is  someone  in  his 
party  who  would  recognize  me  and  it  would  make 
trouble.  Just  tell  all  the  boys  that  I'm  ill,  but  I  don't 
want  the  company  doctor;  I  only  need  rest.  Don't  let 
even  Mr.  Hoyt  know  the  truth." 

"All  right,  Miss  Jane.  I'll  run  up  and  tell  you  the 
news  as  often  as  I  can,  but  if  things  get  kind  of  hot 
and  I  can't  leave  I  suppose  Etta  will  bring  you  a 
message  ?" 

"Yes,  you  can  trust  her,  I'm  sure."  Jane  held  out 
her  hand.  "Good-by  and  good  luck,  Mr.  Bowers.  Tell 
the  men  I  wish  I  could  be  with  them,  whatever  comes." 

When  Peddar  returned  he  found  to  his  alarm  that  Jane 
was  in  bed. 

"Oh,  miss,  whatever  is  it?  I  knew  that  coming  up 
here  would  be  the  death  of  you !  I  knew  it !" 

"I'm  just  as  well  as  you  are  this  minute,  but  I've  got 
to  pretend  I'm  ill  and  if  it  could  be  done  I'd  make  you 
go  to  bed,  too!"  Jane  sat  up.  "As  it  is  you  mustn't 
go  near  Main  Street  again  even  for  supplies,  and  I  don't 
think  you  had  better  leave  the  house.  Peddar,  do  you 
know  who  is  here  in  Katalak?" 

"No,  miss.  They  do  say  that  a  party  came  in  on  a 
yacht  this  morning " 

"And  Mrs.  Everton  is  with  them!"  Jane  interrupted. 
"If  she  sees  either  you  or  me,  Peddar,  it  will  spoil 
everything !" 

"Mrs.  Everton  here !"  he  gasped.  "You  can't  mean  it, 
miss!  Whatever  brought  her  to  Katalak?" 

"Her  friendship  with  the  people  on  the  yacht."    Jane's 


THE  WIDENED  BREACH  233 

lips  tightened.  "I  told  you  that  no  one  here  must  know 
who  I  am,  or  that  the  Gildersleeves  own  the  Northern 
Star.  Mrs.  Everton  found  out  at  home  that  the  mine 
was  ours,  and  she  sold  us  out,  Peddar;  she  betrayed  us 
to  the  only  enemy  that  Ollie  and  I  have  on  earth!  She 
is  here  with  him  and  his  party  now,  and  he  means  to 
get  the  mine  away  from  us  if  he  can.  He  was  my 
grandfather's  enemy  as  well  as  ours,  and  his  name  is 
Gordon  Winfield." 

"Winfield!"  Peddar  ejaculated.  "Not  that  young 
man's " 

"His  father." 

"But  I  thought  it  was  the  other  mining  company,  the 
Unatika,  who  were  trying  to  prevent  the  road  from  being 
built." 

"Gordon  Winfield  owns  the  Unatika.  His  son  told 
me,  and  that  it  what  I  went  about  with  him  for;  to  find 
out." 

"Well,  I  must  say  I  wish  you  had  taken  me  into  your 
confidence,  miss,  for  I've  had  many  an  upset  hour  about 
you,  I  have  indeed!"  Peddar  spoke  in  an  injured  tone. 
"I'm  put  in  charge  of  you,  and  then  I'm  left  in  the  dark ! 
And  that  Mrs.  Everton !  After  all  your  goodness  to 
her  she  went  and  gave  you  and  Mr.  Ollie  away?  Well, 
I  can't  say  as  I  am  surprised,  miss.  I  never  trusted  her, 
as  you  might  say." 

"It  can't  be  helped  now.  We  must  only  keep  out  of 
her  way."  Jane  added:  "Of  course,  she  may  hear  our 
names  mentioned,  but  it  is  hardly  likely  except  from 
Ma  Heaney,  and  she  would  scarcely  hold  any  conversation 
with  her.  Ronald  would  be  the  last  to  speak  of  me,  for 


234  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

he'd  be  afraid  his  father  would  find  out  what  he  had 
told,  and  none  of  them  will  come  in  contact  with  any 
of  our  outfit.  Besides,  even  if  Mrs.  Everton  did  hear 
the  name  Teddar'  I  doubt  if  she  would  connect  it  with 
us,  for  she  thinks  I  am  doing  war  work  somewhere,  and 
never  in  her  wildest  dreams  would  she  expect  to  find  us 
here." 

In  the  meantime,  Barney  Hoyt  had  left  the  general 
office  after  a  protracted  conference  with  the  superin- 
tendent and  was  making  his  way  to  the  track  where  an 
engine  waited  to  take  him  to  the  end  of  the  road.  It 
had  reached  the  glacier  bed  and  work  was  already  begun 
on  the  trestle,  but  what  he  had  just  learned  had  turned 
his  elation  to  grim  foreboding.  He  knew  now  what  the 
coming  of  Gordon  Winfield  portended,  but  the  knowl- 
edge only  steeled  his  determination  to  put  the  road 
through  if  it  cost  him  his  life. 

He  had  not  heard  that  any  women  were  in  the  party 
from  the  yacht,  and  when  he  reached  the  end  of  the 
street  and  looking  out  along  the  track  and  saw  a  girl 
coming  slowly  toward  him,  his  heart  almost  stood  still.  If 
it  were  Jane,  she  must  have  been  looking  for  him;  the 
first  time  she  had  sought  him  out  since  Ronald  Winfield 
had  appeared  on  the  scene!  He  quickened  his  pace  for 
a  few  strides  and  then  abruptly  halted,  for  the  approach- 
ing girl  was  not  Jane,  after  all.  She  was  taller  and 
more  mature,  and  the  hair  beneath  the  jaunty  red  tarn 
o'  shanter  was  not  red-gold,  but  a  smooth,  glossy  black. 

She  was  still  too  far  off  for  him  to  distinguish  her 
features  clearly,  but  there  was  something  in  her  stately 
carriage  and  the  lithe  undulation  of  her  walk  which 


THE  WIDENED  BREACH  235 

brought  a  memory  back  swiftly  through  the  years,  and 
warned  him  of  the  almost  unbelievable  truth. 

The  woman  caught  sight  of  him,  paused  and  then 
came  forward  quickly  with  both  hands  outstretched. 

"Barney !" 

"How  do  you  do,  Grace?"  He  spoke  quietly  and 
without  visible  surprise  or  constraint  as  he  shook  hands. 

"I  heard  that  you  were  here,  and  I  have  been  looking 
everywhere  for  you !"  She  was  flushing  and  paling,  and 
her  dark  eyes  glowed.  "Isn't  it  wonderful  to  meet  again 
like  this  in  such  a  far-off  corner  of  the  world!  Take 
me  somewhere  where  we  can  talk;  there  is  so  much  to 
say!" 

"Is  there?"  He  looked  steadily  at  her  and  there  was 
no  answering  fire  in  his  eyes.  "I'm  sorry,  but  there  is 
nowhere  I  can  take  you  except  the  office  of  Mrs.  Heaney's 
lodging  house ;  there  are  no  tea-rooms  in  Katalak." 

"Barney!  Have  you  no  warmer  welcome  for  me 
after  all  these  years?"  she  asked,  and  then  hurried  on 
as  if  fearful  of  his  answer.  "You  do  not  seem  sur- 
prised to  see  me." 

"I  presume  you  came  with  your  uncle  on  his  yacht." 

"Yes,  and  I  have  a  message  for  you  from  him." 
Grace  hesitated,  and  then  added  slowly:  "Barney,  you 
were  never  ungenerous  in  the  old  days.  Uncle  Win 
wants  you  to  let  bygones  be  bygones  and  come  and  dine 
with  us  on  the  yacht  to-night.  Will  you?" 

"It  is  impossible."  Hoyt  frowned.  "You  forget  that 
I  have  my  work  to  do." 

"But  just  this  one  evening,  for  a  holiday!"  Her  tone 
was  soft,  with  a  wooing,  compelling  quality  in  it  and  she 


236  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

laid  her  hand  upon  his  sleeve.  "You  don't  look  as 
though  you  had  many  holidays,  Barney." 

"I  am  sorry."  He  ignored  her  last  observation. 
"Please  convey  my  regrets  to  your  uncle." 

"You  are  still  angry  with  me?  Barney,  I  was  a  little 
beast,  but  we  were  both  children.  You  see  I  have 
waited,  as  you  asked  me  to,  after  all."  Her  studied  com- 
posure was  shaken  and  her  rich,  contralto  voice  broke 
oddly.  "I  know  this  sounds  hideously  bold,  but  if  you 
knew  how  I  have  suffered  you  would  soften  and  be  the 
old  Barney  once  more !  My  uncle  is  as  anxious  to  make 
amends  as  I  for  the  inadvertent  part  he  took  in  bringing 
about  your  trouble  long  ago;  he  is  in  a  position  to  do 
much  for  you " 

"So  that  is  it !"  Hoyt  spoke  softly,  and  his  lip  curled 
with  contempt.  "That  is  the  game !  Upon  my  soul,  I 
didn't  think  that  you  would  stoop  so  low!" 

"I?"  Grace  Winfield  drew  herself  up  and  her  eyes 
flashed.  "I  don't  think  that  I  quite  understand." 

"I  gave  you  a  message  for  your  uncle  in  response  to 
his  invitation."  Hoyt  paused  and  then  added  deliber- 
ately: "I  should  like  to  change  it.  Please  say  to  him 
that  I  am  not  open  to  a  bribe." 

The  woman  paled,  but  she  held  her  head  high,  and 
returned  his  gaze. 

"You  must  be  mad!  Why  should  my  uncle  wish  to 
bribe  you  ?  We  came  up  here  for  Ronald,  who  has  been 
touring  about,  and  when  we  found  that  you  too  were 

here Oh,  Barney,  don't  you  see?  I  wounded  you 

deeply  in  the  past,  but  my  uncle  knows  how  bitterly  I 


THE  WIDENED  BREACH  237 

regret  and  he  wishes  only  my  happiness  now.  He  can 
make  the  career  of  the  man  I " 

"Stop,  Grace."  Before  the  sternness  in  his  tone  she 
dropped  her  eyes.  "I  cannot  let  you  go  on  with  your 
lies!  He  must  have  made  it  well  worth  your  while 
for  you  to  so  humble  yourself  to  do  his  dirty  work  for 
him!  I  know  this  sounds  brutal,  but  I  feel  brutal.  I 
wish  to  God  that  you  were  a  man!  Go  back  and  tell 
your  uncle,  the  owner  of  the  Unatika  mine,  that  I  am 
here  to  fight  him  and  all  his  crooked,  cowardly  gang  to 
the  last  ditch!  He  cannot  bribe  me  with  his  niece  or 
his  money  and  influence.  I  keep  faith  with  the  Northern 
Star,  and  the  road  goes  through!" 

The  woman  drew  in  her  breath  sharply  between  her 
parted  lips,  and  for  a  moment  there  was  silence  between 
them.  Neither  saw  the  girl  who  had  come  out  of  a 
miserable  shack  farther  up  the  street  and  drawn  near 
watching  them. 

At  last  Grace  raised  her  head  and  faced  him  once 
more,  and  her  eyes  glistened  with  tears. 

"Very  well,  Barney,  I  will  carry  your  message.  I 
don't  know  how  you  knew,  but  it  is  true,  and  I  did 
my  uncle's  bidding  gladly !  Do  you  know  why  ?  It  was 
not  for  the  reason  that  you  think,  not  because  he  loaded 
me,  a  poor  relation,  with  favors,  but  because  after  weary, 
lonely,  bitter  years  I  thought  I  saw  the  happiness  which 
I  had  thrown  away  once  more  almost  within  my  grasp, 
and  I  clutched  desperately  at  the  chance  to  atone,  to 
live!"  She  drew  a  deep  breath.  "It  is  too  late;  I 
realize  that  now,  but  I  don't  want  you  to  think  any 


238  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

worse  of  me  than  you  must.  I  love  you,  Barney.  I 
always  have,  and  I  always  shall.  Good-by." 

She  held  out  her  hand  again  with  a  little  smile  that 
was  infinitely  weary  and  Hoyt's  expression  softened. 

"I  am  sorry,  Grace,  deeply  sorry."  The  eavesdropper 
had  turned  and  sped  away  on  noiseless  feet,  and  only 
the  engine  puffing  impatiently  far  up  the  track  betrayed 
a  sign  of  life  about  them.  "I  wish  you  had  not  told  me !" 

"Why  not?"  Grace  shrugged.  "Perhaps  some  small 
measure  of  vengeance  is  due  to  you.  I  shall  return  to 
my  uncle  and  tell  him  that  I  have  failed.  Will  you  try 
to  think  a  little  kindly  of  me,  when  you  think  of  me 
at  all?" 

Wordlessly  he  pressed  her  hand,  but  she  drew  it 
slowly  away  and  bowing  her  head  turned  and  left  him. 

"What  do  you  think?  Why,  where's  Miss  Jane?" 
Etta  demanded,  as  she  flew  past  Peddar  on  the  porch 
and  into  the  empty  livingroom. 

"Here,  dear,"  Jane  called  from  her  open  bedroom 
door.  "What  is  it?  Has  anything  happened?" 

"You're  sick!"  Etta  hesitated  at  the  door,  and  then 
advanced  to  the  bed.  "Oh,  what  is  the  matter  ?" 

"I  think  I  must  have  caught  a  little  cold,"  responded 
Jane  evasively.  "It  isn't  serious.  But  tell  me  what  has 
happened." 

"Nothing,  only — you  know  those  two  ladies  that  I  told 
you  about,  who  came  off  the  yacht?" 

Jane  nodded  and  raised  herself  upon  one  elbow  in  the 
bed. 

"Well,  one  of  them — it  must  have  been  the  dark, 
y 


THE  WIDENED  BREACH  239 

handsome  one  that  Lew  Nagle  described — she  knows  the 
engineer  of  the  company  you  work  for — Mr.  Hoyt." 
Etta  halted  as  if  uncertain  how  to  proceed  and  then 
plunged  on:  "I  had  a  row  with  Pearl,  and  was  leaving 
the  shack  when  I  saw  a  girl  dressed  all  in  white  with 
a  red  tam,  out  near  where  the  track  begins,  and  she  was 
talking  to  a  man.  I  knew  she  didn't  belong  in  Katalak, 
and  supposed  she  must  be  one  of  that  party  from  the 
yacht  so  I  went  nearer  to  have  a  look  at  her.  Then  I 
saw  that  she  had  her  hand  on  the  man's  sleeve  and  was 
looking  up  into  his  face  and  it  was  Mr.  Hoyt.  They 
didn't  know  I  was  on  earth,  and  I  got  up  real  close  to 
them.  Honestly,  I  didn't  mean  to  listen ' 

"Etta !"  Jane  stopped  her  with  a  little  cry.  "It  wasn't 
nice  of  you,  and  you  mustn't  tell  me.  I  will  not 
listen " 

"Well,  if  people  talk  out  their  private  affairs  like  that 
in  public  anybody  might  hear  them !"  Etta  retorted  in  an 
injured  voice.  "I  was  crazy  about  Hugh  Malison,  but 
at  least  I  didn't  go  around  telling  him  that  I  loved  him, 
like  that  girl  did!  'I  love  you,  Barney/  She  said  it 
just  as  plain  as  day  and  then  I  turned  to  beat  it;  I 
knew  it  wasn't  any  place  for  me !  Think  of  it !  Him 
in  all  his  rough  clothes  and  she  looking  as  though  she 
stepped  out  of  a  picture,  except  for  the  mud  on  her 
shoes.  What's  the  matter?  Do  you  feel  real  sick,  Miss 
Jane?" 

For  Jane  had  closed  her  eyes  and  sank  back  upon  her 
pillows.  At  the  question  she  put  one  hand  quickly  to 
her  forehead. 

"My  head  aches  a  little;  it's  this  daylight  all  the  time, 


240  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

I  think.  I'm  not  accustomed  to  it  yet."  She  spoke  in 
almost  feverish  haste.  "I'll  be  all  right  to-morrow. 
Etta,  you  mustn't  tell  anyone  else  what  you  heard;  it 
isn't  quite  fair,  you  know,  and  you  shouldn't  have 
listened." 

"I  won't,"  Etta  promised.  "I'll  let  you  sleep  now,  but 
if  you  are  not  better  when  I  come  to-morrow  I'm  going 
to  stay  here  and  nurse  you  the  way  you  did  me." 

When  she  had  gone  Jane  got  up  and  slipping  on  a 
warm  dressing-gown  went  to  prepare  supper.  She  told 
herself  fiercely  that  the  news  which  Etta  had  brought 
was  only  what  she  should  have  expected,  and  the  love 
affairs  of  the  young  engineer  were  no  concern  of  hers, 
but  somehow  the  idea  of  lying  there  inactive  was  in- 
tolerable to  her.  She  did  not  want  to  be  alone  with 
her  own  thoughts,  and  even  Peddar's  company  was  better 
than  none. 

"You've  eaten  nothing,  miss;  you'll  be  really  sick  the 
first  thing  you  know,"  Peddar  ventured,  after  manfully 
cleaning  his  own  plate.  "If  you'd  let  me  make  you  a 
cup  of  tea  maybe  it  would  taste  better  to  you;  you've 
made  this  in  the  coffee  pot." 

Jane  pushed  back  her  chair,  and  walking  over  to  the 
couch  flung  herself  upon  it. 

"I  don't  want  anything,  Peddar.  You  clean  up;  I'm 
tired." 

"Of  course,  miss."  He  spoke  reproachfully.  "I 
wouldn't  think  of  allowing  you  to  touch  the  dishes,  and 
it  was  no  wish  of  mine  for  you  to  soil  your  hands  get- 
ting supper.  What  with  the  dreadful  way  we  have  lived 
up  here  I  doubt  that  we'll  ever  get  back  in  our  own 


THE  WIDENED  BREACH  241 

proper  station  again.  Demoralizing,  I  call  it.  Think  of 
it,  miss,  if  after  we  go  home  I  should  forget  and  call 
you  'Jane!'" 

The  horror  in  Peddar's  face  was  so  genuine  that  Jane 
smiled  in  spite  of  herself. 

"It  will  be  worse  when  I  call  you  'father,'  as  I  prob- 
ably shall!"  She  sighed  wearily.  "We  may  never  go 
back  to  the  old  life,  Peddar.  If  the  road  doesn't  go 
through  Ollie  and  I  will  be  poor,  you  know." 

"Well,  it  can't  be  worse  than  this,  miss,"  observed 
Peddar  philosophically.  "We'd  be  among  gentlefolk, 
anyway,  and  I've  no  doubt  Mr.  Ollie  would  make  good 
like  his  father  and  grandfather  before  him.  It's  the 
family,  not  money  that  counts.  Was  that  a  knock  ?" 

He  was  at  the  door  before  Jane  could  make  her 
escape,  and  at  sight  of  the  visitor  she  stood  rooted  to 
the  spot.  It  was  Barney  Hoyt  who  stood  upon  the 
threshold. 

"I  have  only  just  heard  that  you  were  illl"  He  did 
not  seem  to  see  Peddar,  who  stood  before  him  the  pic- 
ture of  outraged  propriety.  "Isn't  there  something  I 
can  do?  The  company  doctor  isn't  much  good,  but  if 
you  like  I'll  send  to  Juneau ;  I — I'd  go  myself " 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Hoyt.".  Jane's  voice  was  crisply  cool 
as  she  drew  her  dressing-gown  closely  about  her.  "I 
don't  need  any  doctor.  It  was  very  kind  of  you  to  call 
and  inquire,  but  there  is  nothing  you  can  do.  I  only  need 
rest  and — to  be  undisturbed." 

Hoyt's  face  crimsoned. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said  stiffly.  "I  did  not  mean 
to  intrude;  I  thought  that  I  might  be  of  some  service. 


242  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

I  trust  you  will  be  better  soon.  Good-night,  Mr. 
Peddar." 

He  bowed  and  turning  on  his  heel  walked  off  the  porch 
and  away,  while  Jane  went  blindly  to  her  room.  She 
lay  there  for  long  staring  into  the  uncanny  brightness 
of  the  night,  and  the  voice  of  that  other  woman  which 
she  had  never  heard  seemed  to  ring  in  her  ears :  "I  love 
you,  Barney." 

She  buried  her  head  in  the  pillow  to  keep  out  the 
sound  but  it  was  no  use.  He  had  come  to  show  an  act 
of  kindness  to  the  little  storekeeper,  but  his  heart  was 
with  this  woman  of  her  enemy's  people.  Gordon  Win- 
field's  revenge  was  greater  than  he  knew. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  CALL  TO  ARMS 

A  WEEK  passed  and  Hoyt  came  not  again  to  the 
little  shack,  but  Jim  Bowers,  who  appeared 
nearly  every  day,  reported  that  he  was  working 
day  and  night  and  the  temporary  trestle,  strong  enough 
to  hold  a  timber  car,  was  almost  completed. 

Jane  kept  Peddar  religiously  within  doors  and  that 
faithful  servitor  began  to  look  worn  from  the  strain  of 
coping  with  his  little  mistress'  uncertain  temper.  He  had 
been  accustomed  since  her  nursery  days  to  sudden 
flares-up  and  as  quick  repentance,  but  to  see  her  sit  for 
hours  in  what  he  mentally  termed  "the  sulks"  only  to 
rise  and  pace  the  shaky  floor  of  the  kitchen  as  though 
she  were  caged  proclaimed  a  mood  which  was  new  to 
him. 

"Whatever's  come  over  her,  sir?"  he  asked  Big  Jim 
one  day,  with  an  apprehensive  glance  over  his  shoulder. 
"She  never  answers  me  at  all  except  it's  to  take  my  head 
off,  and  she  doesn't  eat  nor  yet  sleep,  for  I  hear  her 
tossing  about  all  night.  I  doubt  but  that  she'll  be  really 
sick  if  this  keeps  up." 

Jane  had  explained  to  him  that  the  superintendent  had 
been  taken  into  their  confidence  sufficiently  to  make  him 

243 


244  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

believe  that  she  was  in  Katalak  as  a  sort  of  private  agent 
of  the  owners  of  the  Northern  Star,  and  that  her  illness 
was  a  ruse  to  avoid  an  encounter  with  some  member  of 
the  Winfield  party,  but  he  was  not  entirely  sure  of  his 
ground  with  the  keen-eyed  vistor,  and  nervousness  made 
him  revert  unconsciously  to  the  servile  attitude  of  less 
complex  days. 

It  was  not  lost  upon  Big  Jim,  but  the  latter  merely 
nodded. 

"Don't  you  mind,"  he  said  consolingly.  "She's  kind 
of  worried,  I  guess.  We  all  are.  It  seems  as  if  we 
were  all  sitting  on  a  big  lid  that  was  liable  to  blow  off 
any  minute  and  land  us  sky  high.  That  Unatika  outfit 
has  been  too  quiet  and  there's  trouble  brewing,  sure. 
We'll  almost  feel  better  when  it  comes,  for  then  we'll 
know  where  we  stand." 

It  was  true.  With  the  arrival  of  the  Winfields  a 
tension  had  appeared  in  the  air  which  heightened  with 
each  day  that  passed.  The  men  themselves  felt  it  and 
they  needed  no  urging  to  work  with  might  and  main, 
especially  after  the  little  speech  which  the  superintendent 
had  made  to  the  assembled  outfit  in  which  he  told  them 
that  the  man  for  whom  they  were  working  was  in 
France.  His  psychology  had  been  sound  and  their  inter- 
est now  was  a  matter  of  personal,  individual  account. 

The  week  had  not  been  uneventful  even  in  the  little 
shack,  for  Etta  brought  news  and  Ma  Heaney,  when 
she  heard  of  Jane's  supposed  illness,  fairly  camped  upon 
the  doorstep,  nor  were  Peddar's  broadest  hints  of  avail 
to  dislodge  her. 

"I  don't  care  if  she  is  your  daughter,"  she  remarked 


THE  CALL  TO  ARMS  245 

good-humoredly  on  the  occasion  of  her  second  visit,  two 
days  after  the  appearance  of  the  "Grey  Gull"  in  the 
harbor.  "No  man  ain't  capable  of  takin'  care  o'  sick- 
ness. My  three  husbands  were  every  one  of  'em  ready 
for  a  scrap  any  time,  against  any  odds,  but  let  'em  get 
a  cold  in  the  head  and  they  thought  they  was  gone, 
sure.  There  ain't  anythin'  the  matter  with  Miss  Jane 
as  I  see,  but  maybe  your  cookin',  and  I  don't  wonder 
at  it !  The  lodgers  can  look  out  for  themselves,  now  I 
got  that  snivelin'  young  swell  off  my  hands.  Oh,  Miss 
Jane!" 

"Yes,  Ma  Heaney?"  Jane  called  invitingly  albeit  with 
a  rueful  face. 

"What  do  you  think  is  all  over  town?"  Ma  Heaney 
brushed  Peddar  aside  unceremoniously  and  advanced  into 
the  bedroom.  "That  young  man's  father  who  come  on 
the  yacht  owns  the  Unatika  mine !  He  ain't  makin'  any 
secret  of  it;  come  ashore  and  hired  Hank's  jitney  yes- 
terday and  drove  out  to  the  outfit  as  bold  as  brass. 
He  wanted  it  to-day  but  Hank  told  him  it  was  bu'sted; 
guess  it  would  have  been  if  he'd  let  him  have  it  again 
for  the  Northern  Star  men  are  fightin'  mad.  Anyway, 
Hank  said  he'd  be  shot — only  he  put  it  stronger — if  he'd 
do  a  favor  to  any  man  that  had  all  but  burned  the 
Happy  Days  down  over  his  head  when  the  warehouse 
was  set  on  fire.  It's  as  well  that  party  sleeps  on  the 
yacht,  for  there'd  be  no  room  for  'em  under  my  roof, 
and  I  only  wisht  I'd  known  what  I  do  now  when  that 
Ronald  was  with  me!  To  think  of  him  sittin'  along- 
side o'  me  while  the  warehouse  and  store  went  up  in 
smoke,  and  his  father's  own  outfit  responsible  for  it!" 


246  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

"But  the  ladies  that  came  with  Mr.  Winfield;  are 
they  ashore  very  much?"  asked  Jane. 

"Not  since  the  day  before  yesterday,  just  after  the 
yacht  anchored.  When  Ronald  met  'em  in  my  office 
he  called  one  of  'em  'Cousin  Grace/  but  he  didn't  know 
the  other  at  all,  and  Cousin  Grace  introduced  'em.  You 
can  bet  I  was  listenin'  with  all  my  ears,  but  I  didn't 
catch  the  name,  just  'Mrs.  Ever'  something.  I  tried  to 
make  myself  pleasant  but  they  was  as  stuck-up  as  a 
sour-dough  with  his  first  pay-dirt  and  I  let  'em  alone. 
I  saw  Cousin  Grace  goin'  up  Main  Street  by  herself 
that  afternoon,  and  in  an  hour  she  come  back  lookin' 
like  somethin'  had  fell  on  her,  and  went  on  down  to 
the  rowboat  that  was  waitin'  for  her  at  the  breakwater. 
Neither  of  'em  has  showed  up  since." 

Jane  pondered  for  long  after  Ma  Heaney's  departure. 
Would  a  girl  who  was  just  reconciled  to  the  man  she 
loved  after  years  of  estrangement  look  "as  if  something 
had  fallen  on  her?"  Could  it  be  that  Etta  had  been 
mistaken,  had  not  heard  aright?  No  doubt  of  Hoyt's 
loyalty  to  the  cause  of  the  Northern  Star  entered  Jane's 
mind,  but  the  fact  that  he  was  at  swords'  points  with 
the  Winfields  would  not  have  militated  against  his  re- 
newed love  for  their  relative.  Perhaps  they  had  de- 
cided not  to  meet  again  under  the  present  conditions, 
and  that  would  account  for  her  troubled  look. 

Jane  could  not  know,  of  course,  why  Gordon  Winfield 
had  put  aside  all  subterfuge  and  allowed  the  knowledge 
of  his  ownership  of  the  Unatika  to  become  public,  but 
it  looked  as  though  the  crisis  were  indeed  at  hand. 

Etta  came  in  on  the  eighth  day  after  Winfield's  ar- 


THE  CALL  TO  ARMS  247 

rival  and  announced  with  a  giggle  that  she  had  been 
sent  to  prepare  the  way  for  another  visitor. 

"It's  your  storekeeper,  Jud  Pittinger,"  she  announced. 
"Just  wait  till  you  see  him,  Miss  Jane !  He's  all  dressed 
up  in  regular  clothes  and  he  looks  for  all  the  world  like 
a  minister!  He  stopped  me  outside  the  Full  Blast  and 
told  me  to  ask  you  if  you  felt  able  to  see  him.  I  do 
wish  I  knew  what  was  the  matter  with  you !"  she  added 
irrelevantly.  "You  look  sick  enough,  but  you  won't  stay 
in  bed " 

"Jud  Pittinger  is  a  dear!  Of  course,  I'll  see  him." 
Jane  rose  and  started  to  arrange  her  hair.  "How  soon 
will  he  be  here?" 

"When  the  barber  gets  through  with  him,  I  expect. 
He's  gone  there  to  get  polished  off.  Cliff  Bishop  hardly 
knew  him  when  he  came  up  as  we  were  talking " 

"Etta,"  Jane  interrupted  her.  "This  Cliff  Bishop  is 
the — the  faro  dealer  at  the  Full  Blast,  isn't  he?  I  hear 
that  you  used  to  work  for  him." 

Etta  flushed. 

"There  was  nothing  crooked  about  it,"  she  protested. 
"A  fellow  had  better  lose  his  money  that  way  than  over 
the  bar,  and  he  always  got  a  square  deal.  Cliff's  the 
whitest  gambler  in  Alaska." 

"I  don't  question  that,  but  wasn't  there  some  other 
way  for  you  to  earn  a  living?"  Jane  asked  gently.  "It 
doesn't  seem  the  sort  of  thing  you  would  want  to  do, 
somehow." 

"I  worked  in  a  store  once,  like  you,"  Etta  volun- 
teered. "It  was  down  in  'Frisco,  and  I  would  have  been 
there  yet,  I  suppose,  if  a  man  I  met  hadn't  told  me  that 


248  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

I  had  a  voice,  and  put  me  on  to  sing  between  reels  at  a 
movie  house.  After  a  while  I  heard  that  there  was  big 
money  in  singing  up  here  and  so  I  came,  but  the  climate 
took  away  what  voice  I  had,  and  my  savings  were  gone. 
I  had  to  do  something.  I  didn't  think  a  capper  was  so 
dreadful;  you  can  get  used  to  a  lot  of  things." 

"Do  you  feel  yet  that  you  want  to  go  back  to  San 
Francisco?  I  told  you  that  I  would  help  you  if  you 
did,"  Jane  reminded  her. 

"I  know,  and  it's  awfully  good  of  you,  Miss  Jane, 
but  I  think  I  would  rather  go  East  by  and  by."  The 
girl  hesitated.  "You  see,  I  talked  a  lot  about  what  a 
success  I  was  going  to  make  of  it  up  here,  and  I  would 
hate  to  go  home  with  my  voice  gone,  and  hunt  for  a 
job." 

"I  know  how  you  must  feel,"  Jane  smiled.  "Perhaps 
you  can  come  with  us  when  my  father  and  I  go  home." 

Etta's  enthusiastic  reply  was  cut  short  by  a  timid  knock 
upon  the  door  and  Jane  herself  opened  it. 

"This  is  very  kind  of  you,  Mr.  Pittinger,"  she  said. 
"Come  right  in.  Father,  give  Mr.  Pittinger  that  chair; 
it's  the  only  sound  one  in  the  house." 

Jud  shook  hands  solemnly  with  her  and  Peddar, 
coughed  and  seated  himself  gingerly  in  the  chair  in- 
dicated. 

"Just  thought  I'd  drop  in  and  see  how  you  was,  Miss 
Jane."  He  ran  a  fat  forefinger  between  his  neck  and 
the  collar  which  girded  it.  "I  opened  up  shop  yesterday 
in  the  new  shack  and  the  boys  all  but  mobbed  me.  They 
kept  comin'  in  from  each  shift  askin'  about  you  and  it's 


THE  CALL  TO  ARMS  249 

my  opinion  the  whole  outfit  would  have  been  out  here 
if  Big  Jim  hadn't  warned  'em  off." 

"Oh,  I'm  glad  they  thought  of  me!"  Jane's  eyes 
shone.  "I  wish  I  could  be  back  now  behind  the  counter 
with  you.  Going,  Etta?" 

The  girl  had  appeared  pulling  on  her  coat. 

"Yes.  I  didn't  tell  you,  but  Ma  Heaney  told  me  to 
come  in  to-day  and  see  about  helping  her  with  the  lodging 
house.  It's — it's  better  than  the  Full  Blast.  Good-by." 

"Turned  out  to  be  a  right  nice  girl,  didn't  she?"  Jud 
gazed  approvingly  after  her,  and  Peddar,  with  the  wist- 
ful longing  of  a  shut-in  for  a  bit  of  gossip,  followed 
her  out  to  the  porch.  "There's  lots  o'  good  in  everybody 
if  folks  would  only  help  it  to  come  out.  I  tried  to 
preach  that  in  my  sermons  years  ago " 

He  paused,  reddening,  but  it  was  too  late. 

"Etta  said  you  looked  like  a  minister,  all  dressed  up 
as  you  are  now!"  Jane  exclaimed.  It  seemed  to  be  her 
day  for  confidence.  "That  is  why  you  never  swear  ?" 

Jud  nodded. 

"Had  a  little  church  back  in  Arkansas,"  he  said. 
"Don't  say  anything  to  the  boys  about  it,  Miss  Jane,  for 
you  know  how  they  would  all  give  me  the  laugh!  I 
never  meant  to  let  it  out." 

"I  won't,"  Jane  assured  him  and  hesitated.  One  must 
not  ask  too  many  questions  in  Alaska. 

As  if  divining  her  thought  Jud  said  hurriedly: 

"I  come  up  here  first  as  a  missionary — though  you'd 
never  think  it — but  the  gold  fever  hit  me  hard,  and 
when  that  gets  you,  preacher  or  no,  you've  just  naterally 
got  to  get  it  out  of  your  system.  I  fought  against  it, 


250  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

but  the  Lord  knew  best,  I  guess;  I  was  a  mighty  poor 
preacher,  anyway,"  he  added  naively.  "I  wrote  back 
to  the  convention  and  resigned  and  then  started  mushin' 
North,  but  I  never  struck  pay  dirt.  When  I  got  clean 
discouraged  I  took  a  job  as  company  storekeeper  for 
some  fellers  that  did,  and  that's  how  I  come  to  be  here." 

"But  why  didn't  you  go  back  to  your  church?"  Jane 
asked. 

"I  didn't  feel  the  call,"  responded  Jud  simply.  Then 
as  Peddar  opened  the  door  he  added :  "I  didn't  come  to 
pester  you  with  past  history,  Miss  Jane.  When  will  you 
feel  able  to  get  back  to  the  store  ?  I  found  that  the  boys 
managed  to  save  some  other  stuff  from  the  fire;  boots 
and  clothes  and  those  boxes  of  fancy  razors,  and  I  kind 
o'  need  your  help.  Seems  like  I  couldn't  hardly  get  along 
without  you  much  longer." 

Jane's  heart  warmed  at  the  kindly  lie,  but  she  shook 
her  head. 

"I  don't  know,  Mr.  Pittinger.  I  feel  tired  and  head- 
achey  all  the  time  and  I  shouldn't  be  much  good  to  you, 
I  am  afraid.  I'll  be  all  right  in  a  week  or  so,  I  think, 
and  the  new  stock  won't  come  up  before  then,  will  it?" 

"A  week  or  so,"  Jud  repeated  slowly.  "I  guess  the 
Unatika  will  show  their  hand  before  then,  and  maybe 
give  us  a  chance  to  run  the  whole  outfit  out  o'  the 
country  the  way  we  run  Malison  out  o'  Katalak.  That 
deputy  marshal  is  stickin'  close,  but  I  hear  that  Winfield 
has  bought  more  than  one  jury  in  the  East,  and  he'll  be 
willin'  to  take  his  chances  at  squarin'  himself  with  the 
Juneau  outfit  for  any  trouble  he  raises  here.  It  looks 
like  things  were  comin'  to  a  showdown." 


THE  CALL  TO  ARMS  251 

Jane's  eyes  flashed. 

"I  hope  they  do!"  she  exclaimed.  "Mr.  Bowers  says 
that  the  outfit  is  loyal  to  a  man,  and  their  fighting  blood 
is  up ;  besides  the  trestle  is  almost  finished.  Winfield  has 
tried  every  legal  resource  in  the  last  year,  in  the  name 
of  the  Unatika,  of  course,  to  oust  the  Northern  Star,  and 
there  is  nothing  left  to  him  but  open  violence.  Anything 
would  be  better  than  this  waiting!" 

Jud  visibly  hesitated. 

"It's  hard  to  know  just  where  meanness  stops  and 
righteousness  begins,  in  this  world,"  he  remarked.  "I 
allus  used  to  preach  agin  talebearing  an'  scandal,  but  a 
feller  off  that  there  yacht  o'  Winfield's  told  me  some- 
thin'  mighty  curious  last  night.  It  kinder  bears  on  that 
old  rapscallion's  methods  up  here  an'  as  long  as  I  don't 
know  no  names  to  mention,  I  guess  mebbe  it  won't  do 
no  harm  to  tell  you." 

"A  fellow  off  the  yacht?"  repeated  Jane  wonderingly. 

"One  of  the  sailors.  He'd  been  hittin'  it  up  at  the 
Happy  Days  and  he  stopped  at  the  door  o'  the  shack 
I'm  usin'  for  a  store,  just  plumb  bu'stin'  to  talk  to  any- 
body that  would  listen.  It's  a  good  thing  for  him  none 
o'  the  boys  was  there,  but  bein'  alone  I  let  him  ramble  on. 

"It  seems  that  on  the  evenin'  o'  the  day  they  anchored 
he  was  out  on  deck  near  one  o'  the  little  windows  o' 
a  room  he  called  the  'saloon,'  when  he  heard  loud  talking 
and  looked  in.  One  o'  the  ladies — the  dark  complected 
one — was  facin'  the  old  man  across  the  table,  an'  both 
o'  'em  was  madder'n  grizzlies.  The  old  feller  yelled: 
'Did  you  show  him  what  I  could  do  for  him  if  he  would 


252  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

be  sensible?'  an*  the  lady  smiled  in  a  sneerin'  kind  o* 
way. 

"  'I  obeyed  your  instructions,  an'  he  gave  me  this  mes- 
sage for  you,'  she  says.  'He  told  me  to  tell  you,  the 
owner  o'  the  Unatika  mine,  that  he's  here  to  fight  your 
crooked,  cowardly  gang  to  the  last  ditch,  an'  you  can't 
bribe  him  with  your  niece  or  your  money.  He  keeps 
faith  with  the  Northern  Star  an'  the  road  goes  through.' 
Now,  what  do  you  make  o'  that,  Miss  Jane?" 

"Oh!"  Jane's  voice  sounded  oddly  choked  and  she 
averted  her  eyes  lest  the  shrewd,  kindly  ex-preacher  read 
the  sudden  radiance  in  them.  "I  suppose  Gordon  Win- 
field  must  have  tried  to  bribe  somebody,  but  how  can 
we  know " 

"My  Gawd!  Where  is  everybody!"  The  front  door 
crashed  open  and  Ma  Heaney's  voice  reverberated 
through  the  little  shack.  "Oh,  Mr.  Peddar,  it's  come! 
The  fight's  on !" 

"What?"  Jane  sprang  through  the  doorway  and  con- 
fronted her,  and  the  trembling,  white- faced  Etta. 

"They're  fixin'  for  a  pitched  battle  out  at  the  trestle! 
Joe  Zurak  rode  in  on  an  engine  for  help  and  he  says 
Mr.  Hoyt's  leadin'  the  men,  but  they're  almost  hope- 
lessly outnumbered,  for  the  Unatika  outfit  is  nearly  twice 
as  big  and  that  devil  Winfield  has  even  got  the  sailors 
off  the  yacht  to  reinforce  'em.  Every  man- jack  in  Kata- 
lak,  gamblers  and  sour-doughs  and  all,  are  loadin'  up 
on  the  flat  cars  to  go  out  and  fight  for  the  Northern 
Star,  but  they  may  not  get  there  in  time !"  Ma  Heaney 
paused  to  draw  breath  and  then  added:  "It's  five  miles 
or  more,  and  Joe  says  they've  undermined  the  track  in 


THE  CALL  TO  ARMS  253 

spots.  Folks  thought  it  was  funny  that  the  Unatika 
knocked  off  work  around  their  warehouse  last  night  and 
not  a  soul  was  seen  there  this  morning  'except  the  watch- 
man, but  nobody  thought  of  this.  Why,  Miss  Jane! 
Wh*t  are  you  going  to  do?" 

Jud  Pittinger  had  long  since  vanished,  and  Jane  had 
rushed  back  into  her  bedroom  and  was  hastily  pulling 
on  her  warm  outer  clothes. 

"I'm  going  to  town,"  Jane  replied  through  set  teeth. 
"Help  me,  Etta!  My  boots!  Lace  them  any  old  way. 
.  .  .  Now  my  cloak.  .  .  .  Dear  God,  if  I  may  only  be 
in  time !" 

"Oh,  miss,  you  mustn't!"  Peddar  quavered,  while  the 
eyes  of  Ma  Heaney  and  Etta  opened  wide.  "You  mustn't 
get  in  it !  Mr.  Ollie  would  never  forgive  me " 

"Ollie  isn't  here  to  take  his  place  but  I  am!  These 
men  are  fighting  for  me!  If  you  try  to  stop  me  now, 
Peddar,  I  believe  I'll  kill  you !" 

He  put  out  a  futile,  trembling  arm,  but  she  dashed 
it  aside  and  sprang  out  of  the  doorway.  Peddar  sunk 
into  a  chair  and  buried  his  face  in  his  hands  and  Ma 
Heaney  and  Etta,  after  one  look  at  each  other,  uncere- 
moniously picked  up  their  skirts  and  followed  Jane. 

She  was  still  in  sight,  running  with  almost  incredible 
swiftness  through  the  clogging  mud,  but  she  disappeared 
around  the  corner  of  Main  Street,  and  when  they,  too, 
had  turned  it  they  came  upon  an  astonishing  scene. 

Before  the  door  of  the  lodging  house  stood  the  entire 
party  from  the  yacht,  with  Jud  Pittinger  unnoticed  just 
behind,  and  confronting  them,  rigid  with  defiance,  stood 
Jane.  In  the  tension  of  the  moment  no  one  was  aware 


254  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

that  a  large  steamer,  out  of  all  keeping  with  her  schedule, 
had  slipped  into  the  harbor. 

The  Winfield  party  seemed  petrified  with  astonishment, 
but  at  last  the  blonde  lady  found  her  voice. 

"Janetta  Gildersleeve  I" 


CHAPTER  XIX 
THE  BATTLE  AT  THE  TRESTLE 

"*\7"  ES,  Janetta  Gildersleeve!"    Jane's  voice  trembled 

with  wrath  and  contempt.     "You  found  out 

beneath  our  roof  that  my  brother  and  I  owned 

the  Northern  Star  and  you  sold  your  knowledge  to  this 

man  who  is  our  enemy!" 

Jud  Pittinger's  eyes  nearly  protruded  from  his  head 
and  Ma  Heaney  gripped  Etta's  arm  in  a  convulsive  grasp 
while  Gordon  Winfield,  his  face  enpurpled,  stepped 
forward. 

"You — you  are  Janetta  Gildersleeve?"  he  thundered. 

Jane  sent  a  fleeting  glance  at  the  chagrined  Ronald 
and  then  her  eyes  met  those  of  his  father  in  an  answering 
challenge. 

"I  am,  and  I  have  been  here  for  weeks  watching  every 
move  of  the  crooked  outfit  working  under  your  orders! 
You  bribed  this  woman  who  was  eating  our  bread,  but 
neither  you  nor  your  niece  could  bribe  Barney  Hoyt, 
thank  God !  You  thought  you  had  ruined  us  once  before 
but  you  failed,  just  as  you're  going  to  fail  now !  Your 
outfit  is  fighting  mine  out  at  the  trestle  while  you  skulk 

255 


256  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

here  in  safety,  but  I'm  going  out  there  to  show  my  boys 
that  I'm  with  them !  Jud !" 

She  had  caught  sight  of  the  storekeeper  and  beckon- 
ing to  him,  turned  and  crossed  the  street  while  the 
Winfields  gazed  after  her  speechlessly. 

"Jud,  you've  got  to  get  me  out  there — out  to  the  trestle, 
I  mean !  There  isn't  a  minute  to  be  lost !" 

"But,  ma'am!"  Jud  stammered,  still  in  a  daze  from 
the  revelation  which  had  come  to  him.  "There  ain't 
a  thing  left  to  go  in !  Every  flat  car  on  the  open  track 
and  all  the  wagons  are  gone,  even  to  Hank's  jitney! 
I  got  left  behind  and  was  lookin'  for  some  way  o'  gettin' 
out  there  myself  when  I  saw  you." 

"There  must  be  some  way!"  Jane  cried.  "Look! 
What  is  Etta  pointing  for?" 

Etta  had  run  back  to  the  corner  of  Harbor  Street  and 
now  she  waved  frantically  to  them. 

"There's  an  engine  on  the  track  with  steam  up!"  she 
screamed,  when  they  had  approached  close  enough  to 
hear  her.  "The  smoke  is  curling  up  but  I  don't  see  any- 
one near  it!" 

"Jud,  can  you  drive  an  engine?"  Jane  demanded. 

"I  did  once  and  by  the  Lord,  I  can  again!"  Jud  set 
off  at  a  clumsy  trot.  "Come  on!" 

They  were  not  aware  of  the  breathless  elderly  figure 
which  tottered  wildly  along  in  their  wake,  for  their  eyes 
were  fixed  upon  the  engine  puffing  and  vibrating  as 
though  it,  too,  were  eager  to  be  off  to  the  scene  of  the 
conflict. 

"The  feller  drivin'  it  must  have  left  it  to  go  on  the 


THE  BATTLE  AT  THE  TRESTLE   257 

last  timber  car  out,"  Jud  remarked  as  he  climbed  in. 
Don't  know  how  I  can  fire  her " 

"I'll  fire  up  for  you!"  Jane  announced.  "It  only 
means  shoveling  coal  in,  doesn't  it?  For  God's  sake 
hurry!  There  are  bad  spots  on  the  track,  but  if  the 
loaded  timber  cars  got  over  it  in  safety  we  can !" 

Jud  fumbled  for  a  moment  with  unaccustomed  hands 
and  then  slowly  and  jerkily  the  engine  started.  It  had 
scarcely  moved  its  length  when  a  hand  clutched  the  rail, 
and  Peddar,  exhausted  but  triumphant,  swung  himself 
into  the  cab. 

"Peddar!" 

"Yes,  miss,"  he  gasped,  wiping  his  streaming  face 
on  his  sleeve.  "I'm  going  with  you  where  you  go,  or 
your  blood  would  be  on  my  head !" 

"You  take  the  shovel  and  fire  up  when  you  get  your 
breath,  Peddar,"  Jud  ordered.  "I'm  going  to  get  all  the 
speed  out  of  her  I  can." 

The  puffing  had  changed  to  a  singing  hum  which  in 
turn  gave  place  to  a  subdued  roar  as  the  old  engine 
gathered  herself  together  and  leaped  forward.  Jane  re- 
linquished the  shovel  to  Peddar  and  fell  back,  clinging  to 
anything  she  could  reach  as  they  rocked  perilously  from 
side  to  side.  The  tundra  with  its  bunches  of  green, 
stunted  grasses  flew  past  them  in  a  blur,  and  the  heat 
of  the  furnace  beat  back  in  waves  upon  her  face. 

Jud  Pittinger  sat  motionless  with  his  hand  upon  the 
throttle,  and  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  track  ahead.  He 
had  not  spoken  since  that  swift  injunction  to  Peddar, 
but  all  at  once  he  gave  a  warning  shout. 

It  was  drowned  in  a  grinding  crash  as  the  engine 


258  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

lurched  sickeningly,  tilted,  wavered  and  finally  righted 
herself  and  plunged  on. 

"That  was  a  close  call!"  Jud  muttered,  and  then  rais- 
ing his  voice:  "That  must  have  been  one  of  those  bad 
spots  in  the  track  you  spoke  of,  ma'am." 

"Yes,"  Jane  screamed  back  above  the  roar  of  the  ex- 
haust. "Joe  Zurak  said  they'd  undermined  it." 

Jud  made  no  response,  but  his  face  set  in  even  sterner 
lines  as  he  bent  more  closely  to  his  task.  The  flat  lands 
were  left  behind  them,  and  they  were  mounting  steadily 
into  the  foothills,  but  to  Jane  the  miles  seemed  unending 
and  the  minutes  like  so  many  hours. 

Would  they  be  in  time?  The  question  beat  hammer 
strokes  upon  her  brain.  Would  they  reach  the  trestle 
only  to  find  the  battle  lost?  She  had  no  tangible  idea 
as  to  the  impulse  which  urged  her  on,  only  the  unreason- 
ing conviction  that  she  must  be  there  with  the  men  who 
were  her  comrades  and  who  might  even  now  be  giving 
their  lives  for  her  and  her  brother,  that  the  road  might 
go  through  and  the  mine  be  saved ! 

Yet  one  figure  alone  stood  out  before  her  mental 
tvision.  Barney  Hoyt,  faithful  to  his  trust,  facing  that 
bestial  mob !  No  word  of  love  had  passed  between  them 
and  until  within  the  hour  she  had  believed  that  his  heart 
was  in  another  woman's  keeping,  but  now  in  this  moment 
of  stress  an  instinct  surer  than  reason  brought  the  truth 
home  to  her.  He  was  her  man  and  he  was  in  danger; 
her  place  was  by  his  side. 

And  now,  mingling  with  the  noise  of  the  engine,  there 
came  a  new  sound,  a  steady,  ominous  drone  like  the 
humming  of  multitudinous,  gigantic  bees  in  some  Gar- 


THE  BATTLE  AT  THE  TRESTLE    259 

gantuan  hive,  and  as  they  rounded  a  curve  on  screech- 
ing, protesting  wheels  the  trestle  came  into  view.  The 
engine  slowed  and  stopped  with  a  jerk  which  almost 
threw  Jane  off  her  feet,  but  she  steadied  herself  mechan- 
ically, her  eyes  fixed  upon  the  scene  before  her. 

Grouped  at  the  nearer  end  of  the  trestle  she  saw  the 
men  of  the  Northern  Star  outfit  supplemented  by  those 
who  had  been  hastily  recruited  from  the  town.  They 
were  massed  together,  tense  and  almost  motionless,  gazing 
across  the  structure  which  was  dotted  with  disordered 
heaps  of  figures,  writhing  and  still.  Down  the  rough 
sledge  track  on  the  other  side  of  the  glacier  bed  a  vast 
horde  was  moving  steadily  like  an  advancing  wave,  and 
it  was  from  their  throats  that  the  menacing  drone  issued, 
the  infernal  diapason  of  mob-music  vibrating  with  the 
lust  to  kill. 

"Stood  'em  off  once,  thank  God !"  Jud  exclaimed. 
"They're  comin'  on  again,  though.  Jehosaphat!  Look 
at  the  number  of  'em!  Rifles,  too,  the  murderin'  dogs!" 

But  Jane  did  not  heed.  After  one  comprehensive 
glance  in  which  the  scene  was  imprinted  on  her  brain 
with  photographic  intensity,  she  leaped  from  the  cab  and 
ran  along  the  track  to  that  waiting  crowd,  not  a  man 
of  which  turned  at  the  engine's  approach. 

One  thought  only  dominated  her  mind,  one  desire  ob- 
sessed her ;  Hoyt  must  be  there  on  the  trestle  at  the  head 
of  his  men  facing  that  oncoming  horde,  and  somehow 
she  must  reach  his  side. 

"Let  me  through!"  she  cried  savagely,  elbowing  her 
way  into  the  press.  "Let  me  pass !" 


260  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

The  men  turned  with  grunts  of  astonishment  and 
familiar  faces  surged  about  her. 

"Ay,  let  her  through,  boys!"  Jud  roared  behind  her. 
"Miss  Jane's  your  real  boss  and  you're  fightin'  for  her. 
She  owns  the  Northern  Star !" 

It  was  doubtful  if  in  the  stress  of  the  moment  one- 
tenth  of  those  who  heard  him  comprehended  the  import 
of  his  speech,  but  those  who  did  took  up  the  cry  and 
a  rising  cheer  mounted  upon  the  surcharged  air. 

Mechanically  they  made  a  lane  for  her  through  which 
Jane  passed  to  the  forefront  of  the  crowd.  Hoyt,  Harve 
Dugdale  and  Big  Jim  Bowers  were  standing  shoulder  to 
shoulder  awaiting  the  coming  onrush,  but  they,  too, 
turned  as  the  sound  of  cheering  reached  their  ears,  and 
when  the  girl  herself  appeared  they  were  petrified  with 
amazed  consternation. 

The  enemy  mob  under  the  leadership  of  Hugh  Mali- 
son had  reached  the  far  end  of  the  trestle  and  were 
advancing  slowly  across  it  in  a  densely  packed  mass, 
but  at  the  sight  of  the  feminine  figure  they  halted  despite 
Malison's  exhortations. 

"Good  God!"  Hoyt  groaned.  "What  are  you  doing 
here?  Get  back!  Boys,  take  her  away!" 

Jane  tried  to  protest,  but  the  cheer  rose  again  deafen- 
ingly  behind  her,  and  this  time  there  was  an  answering 
roar  from  the  Unatika  outfit  as,  their  momentary 
hesitation  passed,  they  charged  over  the  trestle. 

Jane  caught  a  fleeting  glimpse  of  Malison  just  as  he 
raised  his  rifle  and  aimed  pointblank  at  her.  She  did 
not  know  that  one  of  his  own  men  knocked  it  aside 
for  Hoyt  had  caught  her  up  and  thrust  her  into  the 


arms  of  a  certain  brawny,  lantern-jawed  Yankee  who 
stood  just  behind  him. 

"Pass  her  back!"  he  commanded.  "See  that  she 
reaches  the  rear  and  guard  her !" 

The  lane  had  closed  up  and  Jane  found  herself  being 
half-dragged  and  half-carried  back  through  the  surging 
throng.  Then  came  a  fusillade  of  shots,  a  weaker  an- 
swering one,  and  the  crowd  dashed  forward  bearing  her 
with  them  as  if  upon  a  mighty  wave  of  the  sea. 

Rocks  and  broken  hunks  of  concrete  were  flying 
through  the  air  and  all  at  once  the  arms  of  the  man 
who  held  her  loosened  and  fell,  and  he  stood  for  a 
moment  upheld  by  the  crush  with  an  expression  of  al- 
most comical  surprise  on  his  face.  Then  as  those  about 
him  swept  on  he  slipped  gently  to  the  ground  and  lay 
motionless. 

Jane  gasped  and  staggered  as  a  sensation  of  dizziness 
assailed  her,  but  she  fought  it  resolutely  down  and  turned 
blindly,  instinctively  back  to  the  fray.  The  civilization 
bred  of  centuries  had  sloughed  from  her  in  that  hour, 
and  it  was  the  primitive  woman  seeking  to  aid  and  de- 
fend her  mate  who  plunged  back,  struggling  and  fighting 
her  way  savagely  through  the  serried  crowd  to  the  thick 
of  the  conflict. 

The  two  opposing  factions  had  met  in  the  middle  of 
the  trestle,  and  were  battling  with  whatever  weapons 
had  come  to  their  hands;  guns,  knives,  crowbars,  picks 
and  shovels  all  bore  their  part,  and  strange  pictures  pre- 
sented themselves  kaleidoscopically  before  the  girl's  eyes 
as  she  pressed  on. 

She  had  forgotten  her  companions  of  that  wild  ride 


262  THE    SINGLE   TRACK 

from  Katalak  and  now  as  if  in  a  dream  she  saw  Peddar 
armed  with  the  shovel  to  which  he  had  clung  facing  a 
swarthy  Italian  in  whose  upraised  hand  something 
gleamed.  The  hand  descended  and  Peddar  went  down 
like  an  ox  just  as  Jud  Pittinger  felled  his  adversary  with 
a  stout  spruce  club. 

Harve  Dugdale  and  Big  Jim  Bowers  were  the  center 
of  a  struggling  ring  of  men  and  fighting  with  every 
ounce  of  strength  in  their  mighty  bodies,  but  where  was 
Barney  Hoyt? 

The  shots  and  shouts  and  curses  and  sound  of  blows 
were  mingled  so  indistinguishably  in  Jane's  ears  that 
she  did  not  hear  a  report  close  at  hand  nor  realize  what 
the  stinging  pain  in  her  shoulder  meant.  Her  eyes  were 
searching  everywhere  in  that  struggling  mass  for  Barney 
Hoyt  Had  he  fallen?  Had  they  killed  him? 

She  stumbled  over  something  and  stooped  mechanically 
to  pick  it  up.  It  was  a  wrench,  short  but  heavy  enough 
to  be  a  formidable  weapon  in  weaker  hands  than  hers, 
and  as  she  straightened  she  saw  the  young  engineer  at 
last !  He  was  far  out  on  the  trestle  facing  Malison  alone 
and  between  them  and  herself  the  main  part  of  the  battle 
raged.  But  she  must  get  through ! 

Jane  never  afterward  knew  how  she  reached  them. 
She  moved  seemingly  without  conscious  volition,  ducking, 
dodging,  squirming  between  the  combatants  while  blows 
rained  down  about  her  and  bullets  whistled  past  her  ears. 
She  saw  only  those  two  savagely  contending  figures 
ahead. 

Hoyt  was  fighting  with  his  bare  fists,  but  Malison  had 
clubbed  his  gun  and  was  striving  for  an  opening  to  bring 


THE  BATTLE  AT  THE  TRESTLE   263 

it  down  upon  his  adversary's  head.  Could  it  be  that 
Barney  was  weakening?  He  seemed  to  be  giving  way 
inch  by  inch,  and  he  would  get  no  quarter  from  Malison ! 

A  prayer  rose  to  Jane's  lips  and  her  grasp  of  the 
wrench  tightened  as  she  cleared  the  last  group  of 
struggling  men  and  raced  down  the  trestle.  She  was 
deaf  to  the  heavy  rumble  and  roar  on  the  track  behind 
her,  deaf  to  the  mighty  cheer  which  rose,  and  uncon- 
scious of  the  fact  that  a  sudden  stunned  silence  had 
fallen  immediately  thereafter  upon  the  noise  of  conflict. 

She  only  knew  that  even  as  the  prayer  died  upon  her 
lips  Barney  Hoyt  went  down  beneath  a  treacherous  blow, 
and  Malison,  with  a  hideous  distorted  smile,  threw  aside 
his  gun  and  reached  into  his  pocket. 

Before  he  could  withdraw  his  hand  a  slender,  sinuous 
body  had  hurled  itself  upon  him  and  the  wrench  de- 
scended with  crushing  force  upon  his  head.  He  crum- 
pled and  falling  toppled  over  the  edge  of  the  trestle  and 
down  upon  the  glacier  bed  far  below. 

With  a  shuddering  sob  Jane  dropped  the  wrench  and 
fell  upon  her  knees  beside  Hoyt's  body.  She  tried  to 
speak  to  him  but  her  voice  sounded  far  away  in  her 
own  ears  and  a  dark,  whirling  void  opened  before  her. 
She  fought  with  her  last  strength  against  the  rising  faint- 
ness  which  was  fast  overcoming  her,  striving  to  lift 
Hoyt's  head,  but  one  arm  hung  limp  and  useless  at  her 
side  and  the  other,  wavering,  would  not  obey  her  will. 

Slowly  the  darkness  descended  wholly,  and  her  head 
drooped  until  it  rested  upon  his  breast. 

She  could  not  know  that  the  steamer  which  had  stolen 
silently  into  the  harbor  brought  reinforcements  from  a 


264  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

far-off  unlooked-for  source;  that  they  had  arrived  on 
a  string  of  timber  cars  at  the  last  moment  and  the  tide 
of  battle,  changing,  had  become  an  utter  rout  for  the 
forces  of  the  Unatika. 

After  countless  ages  she  emerged  for  a  brief  space 
from  the  void  into  which  she  had  fallen,  but  she  knew 
that  she  must  be  delirious,  for  the  stern  face  of  Uncle 
Andy,  oddly  distorted  and  glistening  as  with  tears, 
seemed  to  be  within  a  few  inches  of  her  own,  and  Ollie 
— Ollie  was  there !  Then,  as  though  upon  a  screen,  Uncle 
Andy  faded  out  and  the  rough,  homely  countenance  of 
Adam  MacLeod  was  superimposed.  Jane  smiled,  and 
smiling,  drifted  off  once  more  into  unconsciousness. 


CHAPTER  XX 
THE  RIGHT  OF  WAY 

A3TRANGE,  dual  personality  seemed  to  possess 
Jane  with  her  next  coherent  thought.  She  was 
still  delirious  yet  sane  enough  to  know  it  and  to 
be  distinctly  annoyed  with  the  state  of  affairs.  She  lay 
with  closed  eyes  trying  to  drive  the  mists  from  her 
brain  and  silence  the  phantom  voices  which  sounded  in 
her  ears. 

For  that  crazy  dream  of  Ollie  and  Uncle  Andy  and 
Adam  MacLeod  had  changed  to  an  even  more  impos- 
sible one.  Persis  Cheever  was  thousands  of  miles — the 
width  of  a  continent — away,  and  yet  it  was  Persis'  low, 
well-remembered  tones  which  seemed  to  come  from  close 
at  hand  and  the  voice  of  Billy  Cheever  which  replied 
to  her. 

"No.  No  change  yet,"  Persis  seemed  to  be  saying. 
"Tell  them  I'll  let  them  know  the  moment  there  is." 

"You're  sure  it  is  only  loss  of  blood?"  Jane  thought 
how  strange  it  was  that  Billy's  little  trick  of  quick, 
chopped-off  speech  should  have  lingered  subconsciously 
in  her  brain.  She  had  not  even  thought  of  the  Cheevers 
for  weeks!  "Geddes  is  planning  murder,  I  know,  and 
poor  old  Mac  looks  as  if  he  could  go  hang  himself!" 

265 


266  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

"Tell  them  to  be  patient,  Billy-Bumpkins.  There  is 
nothing  to  do  but  wait." 

Then  there  came  the  sound  of  a  softly  closing  door 
and  silence  once  more. 

"Billy-Bumpkins"  indeed!  That  was  Persis'  pet 
name  for  her  husband;  why  should  it  have  come  into 
Jane's  mind  now,  of  all  things?  That  was  all  a  part 
of  delirium,  of  course,  to  remember  silly  little  phrases 
which  never  occurred  to  one  normally. 

But  why  on  earth  was  she  lying  there  and  why  should 
she  be  delirious?  She  hadn't  been  ill;  it  must  all  be 
simply  a  bad  dream. 

But  it  wasn't!  She  was  assuredly  lying  on  some  kind 
of  a  bed,  but  there  was  a  strange,  pungent  odor  in  the 
room  and  one  of  her  arms  seemed  to  be  bound  as  if  in 
a  vise.  What  in  the  world  has  happened? 

Then  in  a  searing  flash  of  memory  the  battle  at  the 
trestle  came  back  to  her,  and  the  vision  of  Barney  Hoyt 
beaten,  stricken  down  at  her  feet! 

"Barney!"  She  thought  that  she  screamed  his  name, 
but  it  was  the  merest  whisper  which  came  from  her 
lips. 

Instantly  a  cool  hand  was  laid  upon  her  forehead, 
and  Persis'  voice  came  soothingly,  unmistakably  to  her 
ears. 

"Janey !  What  is  it,  dear  ?  This  is  Persis ;  don't  you 
know  me?" 

Jane  opened  her  eyes  at  last  and  knew  that  the  un- 
believable had  happened,  for  it  was  really  Mrs.  Cheever 
who  stood  beside  her! 


THE  RIGHT  OF  WAY  267 

"Oh,  Persis!"  she  sobbed.  "Is  he  dead?  Did  they 
kill  him?" 

"Who,  dear?"  The  other's  eyebrows  went  up  ever  so 
slightly. 

"Barney.  Barney  Hoyt !  I  tried  to  get  to  him  in 
time  but  I  couldn't!  Malison  had  him  down,  and  then 
I  struck  Malison  with  the  wrench  and  he  fell  off  the 
trestle !  Is  Barney  dead  ?" 

"No,  dear,  he's  very  much  alive,  if  you  mean  the 
young  engineer.  He  was  only  cut  and  bruised  a  little, 
and  he  will  be  all  right  again  in  no  time."  Persis  hesi- 
tated. "You  may  see  him  if  you  like,  by  and  by,  but  you 
must  rest  now.  Drink  this,  dear." 

She  held  a  glass  to  the  girl's  lips  and  Jane  drank 
obediently,  then  fell  back  on  her  pillow  with  a  bewildered 
expression. 

"What  happened  to  my  arm  ?"  she  asked  drowsily.  "I 
don't  remember  getting  hurt." 

"Oh,  that  is  nothing!"  Persis  replied  hastily,  with 
studied  carelessness.  "Just  a  sprain.  Try  to  sleep, 
Janey." 

"But  the  road !  The  right  of  way  to  the  mine !  Win- 
field " 

"Winfield  is  beaten  and  the  right  of  way  is  yours! 
Now  close  your  eyes,  Janey.  Go  to  sleep." 

Jane  smiled  blissfully.  Barney  wasn't  dead  after  all! 
The  fight  was  won,  and  somehow,  miraculously,  Persis 
was  here.  Her  lids  dropped  and  a  gentle  warmth  stole 
through  her  veins.  It  was  good  to  be  alive.  .  .  . 

Andrew  Geddes,  Billy  Cheever,  Adam  MacLeod  and 
a  tall  young  man  in  khaki  were  grouped  upon  the  porch 


268  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

of  the  little  shack  when  Persis  opened  the  door  and 
came  out. 

"Janey  will  be  all  right  now,"  she  announced.  "She 
was  conscious  but  very  weak,  and  I  gave  her  that  sleep- 
ing stuff  the  doctor  left.  She's  a  real  Gildersleeve,  Mr. 
Geddes,  for  her  last  question  was  about  the  road  and 
the  right  of  way.  Now  what  I  want  to  know  is :  who 
in  this  world  is  this  young  engineer,  Barney  Hoyt?" 

After  countless  aeons  of  time  Jane  awoke  once  more 
and  drank  the  broth  which  Persis  brought  her.  Then 
she  settled  herself  determinedly  in  her  pillows. 

"It  will  be  no  use  for  you  to  tell  me  to  go  to  sleep 
again,  for  I  shall  not  close  my  eyes  until  you  tell  me 
how  you  got  here!"  she  declared.  "And  Billy's  here, 
too,  for  I  heard  his  voice  and  thought  I  must  be  de- 
lirious! Persis,  what  are  you  doing  in  Katalak?" 

"Hadn't  you  better  ask  Mr.  Geddes?"  the  other 
laughed  softly.  "He  brought  us  almost  by  the  scruff 
of  our  necks !" 

"Uncle  Andy!"  Jane's  eyes  opened  very  wide.  "I 
thought  I  saw  him  there  on  the  trestle  and  Mr.  MacLeod, 
but  I  was  sure  it  couldn't  be  true,  because  Ollie  seemed 
to  be  there,  too,  and  of  course  Ollie's  in  France." 

"Suppose  Ollie  were  not  in  France?"  Persis  spoke 
very  gently.  "Suppose  he  were  here  in  the  next  room  ?" 

Jane  looked  into  her  friend's  eyes  and  then  started 
up  with  a  wild  cry  of  infinite  longing. 

"Ollie!    Ollie!" 

A  khaki-clad  figure  appeared  in  the  doorway  and 
Persis  slipped  out  as  he  advanced  with  eager  strides 
to  the  bed  and  gathered  the  girl  into  his  arms. 


THE  RIGHT  OF  WAY  269 

"Oh,  Janey!     I  thought  I  had  lost  you!" 

Later,  when  Janey  had  wiped  away  her  happy  tears 
and  Ollie  had  cleared  his  throat  they  found  coherent 
speech  once  more. 

"I  want  to  know !"  demanded  Jane.  "How  is  it  that 
you  are  not  in  France?" 

"Invalided  home,  worse  luck !"  her  brother  responded. 
"After  months  of  drilling  and  shifting  about  I  saw  about 
five  minutes  of  the  Big  Show  and  then — Bingo!  Out 
of  it  for  good !" 

"Oh,  Ollie!    You  weren't  wounded?" 

"Gassed,"  he  explained  cheerfully.  "Couldn't  get  the 
darned  mask  on  in  time  and  was  laid  by  the  heels  before 
I'd  gone  twenty  yards  over  the  top.  That  was  early 
in  June,  and  I  was  as  right  as  rain  in  no  time,  but  my 
leg  had  gone  back  on  me,  too — that  old  football  injury 
— and  they  wouldn't  let  me  get  in  the  game  again.  Now 
I've  come  home  to  do  the  hero  stunt  only  to  find  that 
my  little  sister  has  beaten  me  to  it!  It  wasn't  fair  of 
you,  Janey!" 

She  smiled  at  his  bantering  tone,  and  then  her  face 
grew  grave. 

"I  only  tried  to  take  your  place,"  she  said. 

"  'Take  my  place' !"  repeated  Ollie.  "Good  heavens, 
Janey,  I  couldn't  have  begun  to  do  what  you  did!  I've 
been  hearing  all  about  it  from  a  mob  of  battered,  howl- 
ing enthusiasts  who  apparently  worship  the  ground  you 
walk  on!  How  dared  you  do  it?  How  dared  you  de- 
ceive everybody  and  come  up  here  all  alone " 

"I  had  Peddar.    Oh,  poor  Peddar!"    Jane  started  up 


270  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

in  sudden  contrition.  "How  could  I  have  forgotten 
him!  I  saw  an  Italian  with  a  knife " 

"Poor  Peddar  is  in  bed  in  the  next  room,  with  an 
infinitesimal  scratch  on  his  side  and  enough  of  Uncle 
Andy's  precious  Scotch  in  his  tummy  to  make  him  weep 
from  sheer  joy  and  relief  that  his  troubles  are  over. 
He  did,  actually.  I  fancy  you  led  him  rather  a  dance, 
Janey." 

"I'm  afraid  I  did,"  Jane  confessed.  "Ollie,  I  don't 
know  whether  I've  been  ill  a  day  or  a  week,  but  do 
you  know  any  of  the  boys  by  name?  Do  you  know  who 
were  hurt  or  killed?  You  see,  I've  some  particular 
friends  among  them,  and  I'm  almost  afraid  to  ask,  but 
I  must  know!  There's  Jud  Pittinger  and  Harve  Dug- 
dale  and  Big  Jim  Bowers " 

"I  know  them  all!"  Ollie  responded  promptly.  "Big 
Jim  nearly  crushed  my  hand  when  he  greeted  me,  and 
that  fat  little  man  for  whom  you  tended  store  has  been 
here  twice  to  inquire  about  you.  They  are  neither  of 
them  very  much  the  worse  for  wear,  but  your  friend 
Dugdale  is  laid  up  with  a  bashed  head.  However,  a  large, 
beaming  person  whom  everyone  calls  'Ma'  is  looking 
after  him,  and  the  doctor  says  he  will  pull  through  all 
right.  Janey,"  he  hesitated.  "Our  construction  en- 
gineer, Barney  Hoyt — do  you  know  him  very  well  ?" 

"Of  course,"  Jane  flushed.  "Did  Uncle  Andy  engage 
him  as  'Barney'  Hoyt,  Ollie?  Do  you  know  the  rest 
of  his  name?  He  is  J.  Barnaby  Hoyt,  Junior.  Uncle 
Andy  will  remember  about  his  father." 

Ollie  whistled. 

"I  do,  myself.     He  tried  to  buck  Winfield  and  his 


THE  RIGHT  OF  WAY  271 

crowd,  and  went  under.  He  paid  off  every  cent,  but 
he  couldn't  come  back,  poor  old  chap,  and  so  he  killed 
himself." 

"He  paid  every  cent?  Then  there  wasn't  anything 
disgraceful  about  his  failure?"  Jane  cried. 

"Good  Lord,  no!  He  was  the  soul  of  honor!"  Ollie 
stared.  "I  wish  I  had  known  before  that  this'  young 
Hoyt  was  his  son.  Uncle  Andy  didn't  make  any  mistake 
when  he  picked  him,  did  he?  If  it  hadn't  been  for  him 
the  road  would  never  have  gone  through!" 

"I  know  it.  He's  been  splendid!"  Jane's  eyes  shone. 
"I  thought  he  was  killed,  but  Persis  says  he  was  not 
badly  hurt." 

"He  will  be  around  in  a  day  or  two,"  prophesied 
Ollie.  "If  ever  there  was  a  psychological  moment  it 
was  when  we  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor  here,  wasn't 
it?  We  were  just  in  the  nick  of  time  at  the  trestle!" 

"How  did  you  happen  to  be  here?"  Jane  demanded. 
"Do  call  in  Uncle  Andy  and  Mr.  MacLeod  and  the 
Cheevers  and  let  me  hear  about  it  from  all  of  you !" 

Andrew  Geddes  came  first  looking  exceedingly  stern, 
but  his  lips  trembled  when  he  kissed  her  forehead. 

"Janetta,  you've  been  a  wicked,  deceitful  girl  and 
after  this  trick  you  have  played  on  us  I  misdoubt  that 
the  truth  is  in  you,  but  I'm  proud  of  you  for  all  that. 
You're  every  inch  a  Gildersleeve !" 

"You  wouldn't  have  let  me  come  if  I  had  told  you, 
would  you,  Uncle  Andy?"  Jane  laughed  softly.  "Some- 
body else  helped  me,  though " 

'  'Twas  me,"  Adam  MacLeod  announced  in  sepulchral 
tones  as  he  came  to  the  other  side  of  the  bed  and 


272  THE   SINGLE  TRACK 

grasped  her  hand.  "I've  not  had  a  peaceful  hour  since 
you  cajoled  me  into  that  promise !  Well  I  knew  that 
trouble  would  come  of  it  and  I've  pictured  every  way, 
but  never  did  I  think  to  see  you  leading  a  riot !" 

"I  didn't  expect  to  see  myself  doing  it!"  retorted 
Jane.  "I  made  up  my  mind  when  I  came  up  here, 
though,  that  I  was  going  to  see  it  through  no  matter 
what  happened." 

"Hello,  Janey!"  Billy  Cheever  grinned  at  her  cheer- 
fully from  the  foot  of  the  bed.  "Nice  mess  you  got 
us  all  into,  wasn't  it?  Everybody  has  been  jumping  on 
me  as  if  I  planned  the  whole  thing,  and  I  never  knew 
what  was  going  on  at  all !" 

"Didn't  Persis  post  you  ?"  demanded  Jane. 

"Only  that  you  were  doing  some  kind  of  war  work 
somewhere  that  Mr.  Geddes  wouldn't  approve  of,  and 
that  I  was  not  to  intimate  you  weren't  with  us.  Then 
Ollie  appeared  at  our  place  in  Maine  without  any  warn- 
ing to  surprise  you  and  the  fat  was  in  the  fire!  Ollie 
was  the  surprised  one  instead !" 

"Not  entirely  so,"  Ollie  smiled.  "You  see  I  had  re- 
ceived a  letter  in  France  from  Janey  dated  July  eleventh, 
and  telling  me  what  a  quiet  Fourth  you  had  all  had, 
but  it  was  postmarked  May  twenty-second,  and  reached 
me  June  nineteenth.  I  smelled  a  rat  right  there." 

"Billy  mailed  that  letter !"  Persis  shamelessly  betrayed 
her  husband.  "I  ran  down  to  Boston  to  do  some  shop- 
ping and  I  warned  him  not  to  get  them  mixed !  Janey, 
whatever  put  it  into  your  head  to  come  up  here  and 
work  in  your  own  company  store,  of  all  things?" 

"You   did!"  Jane  laughed.     "You  told  me  that  the 


THE  RIGHT  OF  WAY  273 

only  practical  thing  in  the  world  I  could  do  was  to  sell 
goods  over  a  counter!  But  how  did  any  of  you  dis- 
cover that  I  was  here?" 

"We  put  two  and  two  together,"  Andrew  Geddes  re- 
sponded dryly.  "Just  before  Oliphant  came  home  I  met 
Mr.  Cheever,  and  when  I  asked  him  about  you  his 
manner  was  not  what  you  might  call  convincing." 

"I  told  you,  Janey,  that  Billy  wasn't  very  good  at 
dissembling!"  Persis  put  in  irrepressibly. 

"Then  Ollie  came  to  me  with  the  tale  of  that  letter 
and  I  sent  him  up  to  Maine  to  look  into  the  matter,  and 
he  soon  learned  from  Mrs.  Cheever  that  she  didn't  know 
where  you  were  and  hadn't  heard  from  you  for  weeks. 
She  could  only  tell  him  the  little  you  had  told  her  of 
your  plans,  but  it  was  enough  to  show  us  that  'twas  no 
war  work  you  had  in  your  bonnet,  my  dear.  On  top 
of  it  all  comes  Adam  MacLeod  with  the  news  that 
Gordon  Winfield  owns  the  Unatika.  He  could  never 
have  discovered  that  there  in  the  East,  for  Winfield  was 
solidly  entrenched  behind  his  ring  of  dummies  and 
Adam  MacLeod  had  to  admit  that  the  information  had 
reached  him  from  here.  'Twas  natural  enough  that  we 
should  want  to  know  which  of  the  outfit  had  found  it 
out  and  the  way  he  hemmed  and  hawed " 

"I  told  the  truth,"  Adam  MacLeod  interrupted  with 
dignity.  "I  said  I  had  sent  a  special  agent  up  here." 

"You  did,  and  it  is  the  customary  thing,  I  suppose, 
for  the  manager  of  a  New  York  office  to  send  a  special 
agent  out  to  the  mine  without  the  authority  or  even 
knowledge  of  the  company's  representative!"  Andrew 
Geddes  retorted.  "Man,  'twould  not  hold  water!  Then 


274  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

Oliphant  shot  the  accusation  at  him  that  you  were  the 
agent,  Janetta,  and  although  he  kept  his  promise  to  you 
with  his  lips,  his  face  gave  him  away.  After  that " 

"After  that,"  Persis  broke  in  again,  "two  madmen  ap- 
peared at  our  camp  and  gave  me  twenty  minutes  to 
pack!  I've  lived  in  one  dressing-bag " 

"And  most  of  my  suit  case!"  interpolated  Billy.  "I 
have  nothing  in  the  world  but  a  tooth  brush  and  four 
collars !" 

"One  dressing-bag,"  repeated  Persis  firmly,  "for  three 
solid  weeks,  Janey,  and  if  that  is  not  friendship " 

"I've  made  a  lot  of  trouble  for  everybody,"  Jane  said 
penitently.  "But  oh,  it  is  so  good  to  see  you  all  here!" 

"You  made  most  trouble  for  Winfield!"  exclaimed 
Ollie.  "I  would  have  given  half  of  my  interest  in  the 
mine  to  have  seen  you  vamping  Ronald!" 

"Oh,  don't!  He  was  the  most  frightful  bore!  But 
Persis  told  me  that  they  were  beaten  and  the  right  of 
way  is  ours.  Do  you  suppose  he  will  offer  to  sell  us 
the  Unatika  mine?" 

Andrew  Geddes  chuckled  grimly. 

"There  isn't  any!"  he  remarked.  "There  never  was. 
Long  ago,  before  you  knew  anything  about  the  state  of 
affairs,  Janetta,  your  brother  and  I  had  many  a  busi- 
ness conference  concerning  the  Northern  Star  at  your 
home,  and  your  friend  Mrs.  Everton  must  have  spied 
and  listened  and  carried  the  news  to  Gordon  Winfield. 
He  sent  a  man  up  here,  not  to  discover  a  mine,  but  to 
manufacture  the  evidence  of  one  as  an  excuse  to  fight 
you  for  the  right  of  way  and  if  he  succeeded,  force  you 
to  sell  the  Northern  Star  at  his  own  price.  That  was 


THE  RIGHT  OF  WAY  275 

his  only  intention  in  forming  the  Unatika  Company; 
to  ruin  you  children  and  get  the  Northern  Star  for 
himself.  It  has  cost  him  a  pretty  penny  and  more  than 
that,  for  when  we  have  laid  the  report  and  proof  of 
his  activities  before  the  Boards  of  both  exchanges  in 
New  York,  he  will  find  himself  ruled  off,  and  barred 
forever  from  operating  under  his  own  name.  More- 
over, there  is  law  and  justice  in  Alaska  for  the  outrages 
he  has  committed  against  the  Northern  Star  and  his  out- 
fit almost  to  a  man  is  clamoring  to  turn  state's  evidence 
now  that  the  game  is  up.  He'll  be  brought  back " 

"He  has  gone,  then?"  Jane  asked.  "He  has  left 
Katalak?" 

"His  yacht  sailed  the  morning  after  the  fight  at  the 
trestle." 

"The  morning  after!"  she  ejaculated.  "Why,  what 
day  is  this  ?  How  long  have  I  been  ill  ?" 

"Three  days,  Janey,"  Persis  replied  soothingly.  "This 
is  Saturday  and  the  fight  occurred  Wednesday,  you 
know.  You  weren't  really  ill,  just  weak  from  loss  of 
blood." 

"Blood!"  Jane  glanced  down  at  her  bandaged  shoul- 
der and  arm.  "You  told  me  it  was  a  sprain!" 

"Persis  did  not  want  to  frighten  you,"  her  brother 
explained.  "You  must  have  been  struck  by  a  stray 
bullet  and  in  the  excitement  you  never  noticed  it.  It 
isn't  serious,  Janey,  just  a  flesh  wound,  but  you  have 
taken  all  the  wind  out  of  my  sails!" 

"Did  you  tell  me  the  truth  about  other  things?"  Jane 
demanded,  sitting  up  and  eying  her  friend  accusingly. 


276  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

"You  said  that  our — our  construction  engin-^r,  Mr. 
Hoyt,  was  only  cut  and  bruised  a  little " 

"And  so  he  was!"  Persis  retorted.  "There's  a  little 
cut  on  his  head,  I  believe." 

"Seven  stitches !"  supplemented  Billy  cheerfully. 
"Looks  like  a  prize  fighter  that  had  lost  the  purse,  but 
holy  mackerel !  That  chap  is  game !  The  doctor  couldn't 
keep  him  in  bed  and  it  was  he  who  went  out  yesterday 
to  the  mines  and  discovered  the  truth  about  the  Unatika. 
He  said  he  had  suspected  it  for  some  time  but  couldn't 
verify  it  while  the  other  outfit  were  on  the  job !  There's 
some  class  to  his  speed !" 

"I  think  Janey's  talked  enough  for  now,"  Persis  an- 
nounced authoritatively.  "She  promised  that  she  would 
go  to  sleep  again  if  I  let  her  hear  how  we  all  came  to 
be  here,  and  she  looks  a  little  tired." 

"There  is  just  one  more  thing  that  I  must  know." 
Jane  stayed  the  stir  of  departure.  "I  shall  have  to  learn 
it  some  time.  Did — did  they  find  Malison?" 

"The  general  superintendent  of  the  Unatika?  The 
man  you  knocked  off  the  trestle?"  Ollie  laughed.  "No, 
and  they  can't  find  the  only  jitney  in  town,  either,  but 
the  deputy  marshal  from  Juneau  has  started  off  on  his 
trail.  You  only  stunned  him,  Janey,  and  when  he  came 
to,  and  found  that  the  fight  was  over  he  didn't  waste 
any  time  in  making  himself  scarce.  They'll  get  him, 
though,  and  he'll  hang  for  the  murder  of  that  Italian, 
Pietro  Graziano." 

"That  is  a  pleasant  little  thought  to  put  her  to  sleep 
with,"  Persis  observed,  as  she  herded  them  out.  "Tact- 
ful creatures,  men  are!" 


THE  RIGHT  OF  WAY  277 

She  closed  the  door  and  came  over  to  the  bed. 

"Janey,  would  you  like  to  see  this  Mr.  Hoyt  the  next 
time  time  he  calls?" 

"He  has  been  here?"  Jane  asked  with  unconscious 
eagerness. 

"As  soon  as  he  could  crawl  on  Thursday,  and  three 
times  yesterday.  It  is  wonderful  the  amount  of  business 
he  has  to  discuss  with  Ollie  and  Mr.  Geddes !  If  you 
are  good  and  go  to  sleep  now  I  will  make  you  as  pre- 
sentable as  I  can,  though  there's  not  a  bit  of  rouge  in 
the  whole  town!  I  know  because  I  even  asked  Mr. 
Pittinger,  and  he  nearly  fainted." 

Jane  smiled. 

"I  don't  want  any,"  she  murmured.  "I — I'd  rather 
be  just  myself ;  I'm  going  to  be,  from  now  on.  I  have 
learned  a  lot  since  I  came  up  here  about  the  things 
that  really  count,  Persis,  and  nothing  else  matters." 

She  slept  again,  awakening  only  when  Persis  laid  her 
hand  upon  her  forehead. 

"Mr.  Hoyt  is  here,  dear.  If  you  don't  feel  like  seeing 
him  just  now " 

The  dazed  look  was  swept  like  magic  from  Jane's  eyes 
and  she  sat  up  in  bed  so  suddenly  that  she  all  but 
bumped  her  friend's  head. 

"Give  me  my  hair  brush,"  she  demanded.  "Oh,  I 
can't  use  it  with  only  one  hand!  Don't  drag  my  hair 
back  until  it  pulls  my  eyebrows  up,  whatever  you  do! 
Am  I  so  very  pale?" 

Persis  made  no  response  but  she  smiled  quietly  to 
herself  as  she  went  about  her  ministrations.  Janey  had 
evidently  learned  more  in  Katalak  than  she  had  toldj 


278  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

A  few  minutes  later  a  young  man  with  a  bandaged 
head  and  battered  countenance  appeared  diffidently  in 
the  doorway. 

"Mrs.  Cheever  said  that  you  wanted  to  see  me,  Miss 
Gildersleeve,"  he  said  formally.  "I  did  not  wish  to 
intrude " 

"Oh,  dear!"  Jane  sighed.  "I  hoped  you  had  for- 
gotten how  rude  I  was  to  you  the  day  you  called  when 
I  only  pretended  to  be  ill.  You  were  rude  to  me,  though, 
the  last  time  we  met;  you  declined  my  company  in  no 
uncertain  terms." 

"On  the  trestle?"  His  lips  tightened.  "It  was  mad- 
ness for  you  to  come !  You  might  have  been  killed,  but 
instead  you  saved  my  life.  Miss  Gildersleeve,  I  do  not 
know  what  to  say  to  you;  I  don't  know  how  to  ex- 
press  " 

"Then  don't,  for  goodness  sake,  call  me  'Miss  Gilder- 
sleeve' in  that  horribly  formal  manner!  I — I  just  knew 
you  would  do  this !"  Jane  spoke  in  a  decidedly  aggrieved, 
pouting  tone.  "I  knew  that  as  soon  as  you  learned  who 
I  was  you  would  freeze  up  like  the  other  time!  When 
you  thought  I  was  only  Jane  Peddar  you  were  so  nice 
and  friendly,  and  now  it  is  all  spoiled !" 

"The  other  time?"  Hoyt  had  taken  a  step  nearer  the 
bed  and  a  dawning  light  came  into  his  eyes. 

She  looked  up  at  him  with  a  little  smile. 

"You  I.  W.  W.  Thing!"  she  said  softly. 

"So  it  was  you !"  Hoyt  exclaimed.  "I  fancied  so  at 
first  but  I  thought  I  must  be  mad !  You  were  so  differ- 
ent to  the  fine  little  lady  who  was  afraid  to  help  the 


THE  RIGHT  OF  WAY  279 

man  she  had  hurt  because  her  hands  might  be  soiled 
with  blood." 

"I'm  not  different!"  Jane  protested.  "It  is  only  that 
conditions  are,  and  I  had  to  learn,  didn't  I?  I  was  on 
the  wrong  side  of  the  road  that  night  because  I  was 
careless  and  didn't  think;  I  wouldn't  have  cared  much 
if  I'd  realized  it.  All  my  life  I  have  felt  that  I  had 
the  right  of  way  in  everything  because  I  was  Janetta 
Gildersleeve ;  I  took  it  as  a  matter  of  course.  It  was 
only  when  I  saw  my  own  little  pampered,  falsely  secured 
world  falling  down  about  my  shoulders  that  I  began 
to  think,  and  what  you  said  to  me  that  night  made  me 
furious  but  it  helped  me  later.  I  thought  then  that 
you  must  be  a  socialistic  faddist,  but  when  I  came  up 
here  and  got  behind  that  counter  I  saw  the  other  side 
of  things;  kindness  and  generosity  and  chivalry  from 
people  I  had  never  even  given  a  thought  to  before  be- 
cause they  belonged  to  another  world!  Now  do  you 
understand  ?" 

"I  think  I  do,"  Hoyt  said  slowly.  "I  learned  it,  too, 
years  ago.  But  you  will  go  back  now  and  be  Janetta 
Gildersleeve  once  more." 

He  did  not  realize  that  in  the  innocent  glance  which 
Jane  bestowed  upon  him  she  was  reading  him  like  a 
book.  She  sighed  in  queer  exasperation,  then  seeing 
that  the  initiative  must  be  hers  she  drew  a  deep 
breath. 

"Do  you  want  me  to  go?"  she  asked  very  softly. 

The  blank  amazement  in  his  eyes  gave  place  to  so 
warm  and  tender  a  light  that  her  own  eyes  drooped 
before  it 


280  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

"What  do  you  mean?"  he  asked  in  turn,  somewhat 
unsteadily.  "I — your  place  is  there " 

"Is  it?  I  wonder!  I  thought  that  perhaps  I  might 
stay  here  in  Katalak  until  the  road  is  finished  if  you 
wanted  me  to,"  she  repeated  in  a  voice  that  was  little 
more  than  a  whisper.  "Until  the  road  is  finished  and 
—and  we  go  on  to  another  job." 

"Jane!"  He  stooped  swiftly  and  gathered  her,  in- 
jured shoulder  and  all,  in  a  close,  infinitely  tender  em- 
brace. "And  I  thought  you  didn't  care !  I  thought  you 
were  like  the  others,  in  spite  of  how  wonderfully  you 
had  proved  yourself  up  here!  I  had  begun  to  feel  that 
perhaps  Jane  Peddar  might  care,  but  when  she  became 
Janetta  Gildersleeve  I  was  sure  it  had  been  just  a  dream 
of  mine." 

"Jane  Peddar  does  care!"  Her  arm  slipped  up  about 
his  neck  in  blissful  contentment.  "But  she  will  never 
as  long  as  she  lives  forgive  you  for  making  her  pro- 
pose!" 


CHAPTER  XXI 
THE  SINGLE  TRACK 

ONE  morning,  a  week  later,  in  a  rare  burst  of 
sunshine,  Jane  was  seated  on  the  porch  of  the 
little  shack.  She  was  still  a  trifle  weak  and 
wan,  but  her  pallor  was  shot  now  and  then  with  vivid 
blushes,  and  she  hummed  a  little  tuneless  song  to  herself 
as  she  swayed  back  and  forth  in  the  squeaky  rocker 
which  Ma  Heaney  had  sent  up  for  her  especial  use. 

"I  don't  see  how  you  ever  endured  it  up  here  all  these 
weeks!"  Persis  observed  with  a  shiver.  "It  is  desolate 
enough  in  all  conscience  when  the  sun  shines  like  this, 
but  when  it  rains,  as  it  seems  to  do  almost  constantly, 
it  is  the  most  unspeakably  lonely,  dreary  place  imagin- 
able!" 

"I  haven't  been  lonely."  Jane  smiled  as  if  to  herself, 
and  then  added  hurriedly :  "Too  busy,  you  know.  Then 
I've  made  such  good  friends " 

"That  dreadful  fat  woman  with  the  bleached  hair,  and 

that  common  dance-hall  creature "  Persis  began,  but 

Jane  interrupted  her  indignantly. 

"Ma  Heaney  is  respected  by  everyone  in  Katalak,  and 
she  has  the  biggest  heart  of  anyone  I  know,  while  as 
for  Etta,  I  don't  know  what  I  should  have  done  without 

Hi 


282  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

her.  She's  just  a  girl  like  you  or  I,  only  she  hasn't  had 
the  advantages  that  have  been  ours,  but  I  mean  that  she 
shall  have  as  soon  as  she  reaches  the  East." 

"Well,  I  must  say  it  is  a  blessing  that  we  are  getting 
you  away  from  such  associations,"  her  friend  retorted 
vigorously.  "I  had  no  idea,  Janey,  that  you  could  so 
easily  sink  to  the  level  of  these  surroundings!  You 
seemed  so  well-poised  and  self-contained  for  a  girl  who 
had  only  been  out  two  seasons  that  I  would  never  have 
believed  you  would  so  soon  have  forgotten  your  social 
traditions." 

"I  haven't.  I've  simply  risen  above  them,"  explained 
Jane  serenely.  "We  don't  even  think  in  the  same  language 
any  more,  you  and  I,  Persis.  I  don't  understand,  look- 
ing back,  how  I  ever  could  have  been  such  a  narrow- 
minded,  self-satisfied  little  snob !" 

"If  you  mean  to  insinuate  that  I  am  one  simply  be- 
cause I  cannot  fraternize  with  the  riff-raff  of  a  mining 
town,  I  can  only  say  that  I  think  we  came  at  a  psy- 
chological moment  in  more  ways  than  one,"  Persis  re- 
marked with  dignity.  "I  am  glad  for  your  own  sake 
that  we  are  sailing  to-rnorrow." 

Jane  drew  a  deep  breath  and  turned  to  face  her  friend 
squarely. 

"I  am  not  sailing  with  you.  I  shall  be  sorry  to  lose 
you  all,  but  I  am  going  to  remain  here  in  Katalak!" 

"You  are  absolutely  mad !"  Persis  rose  from  her  chair 
in  consternation.  "Janey,  you  can't  think  what  you  are 
saying!  What  in  the  world  do  you  mean?" 

"Just  what  I  say."  Jane  smiled  very  steadily  into 
Mrs.  Cheever's  eyes,  but  a  deep  flush  had  mounted  to 


THE  SINGLE  TRACK  283 

her  brow.  "I  never  from  the  first  had  the  slightest 
intention  of  going  back  with  you,  but  I  decided  not  to 
tell  you  until  the  last  moment  to  avoid  needless  re- 
monstrances." 

The  other  woman  stared  half-incredulously  at  her,  and 
then  turned  impetuously  toward  the  door  of  the  shack. 

"Ollie!  Mr.  Geddes!  Billy !"  she  called.  "Come  here 
this  minute.  What  do  you  think  Janey  is  trying  to  tell 
me?" 

Then  as  the  three,  followed  by  Adam  MacLeod  ap- 
peared in  the  doorway,  with  Peddar's  pale  face  hovering 
in  the  background,  she  continued : 

"She  says  that  she  will  not  sail  with  us  to-morrow! 
She  means  to  stay  on  here  in  this  awful  place " 

"Stuff  and  nonsense!"  interrupted  Andrew  Geddes 
testily.  "She  should  never  have  been  permitted  to  come, 
but  she  accomplished  what  she  set  out  to  do  and  that 
isn't  any  excuse  for  her  to  remain  here  another  day! 
What  ridiculous  notion  is  this,  Janetta?" 

"It  isn't  ridiculous,  Uncle  Andy."  Jane  smiled  again 
in  that  quiet,  aloof  way,  and  then  she  blushed  as  she 
caught  sight  of  a  tall  figure  rapidly  approaching.  "My 
work  here  has  only  just  begun.  Of  course,  we've  beaten 
the  Unatika,  and  I  think  that  Jud  Pittinger  can  get 
along  without  me  in  the  store  any  longer,  but  I've  ac- 
cepted another  position." 

"Oh,  Jane — miss,  I  mean!"  quavered  Peddar.  "I  beg 
pardon,  I'm  sure,  miss,  but  you  are  never  thinking " 

William  Cheever's  low  whistle  of  astonishment 
drowned  the  old  man's  trembling  tones  and  Adam  Mac- 


284  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

Leod  looked  the  question  he  could  not  utter,  but  Ollie 
advanced  to  her  chair. 

"What  sort  of  position,  Little  Sister?"  he  asked 
gently. 

She  looked  gratefully  up  at  him  through  a  mist  of 
happy  tears,  and  then  nodded  to  Barney  Hoyt  as  he 
hesitated  at  the  foot  of  the  steps. 

"I  am  just  telling  the  rest  that  they  must  sail  without 
me  to-morrow,"  she  explained  to  the  new  arrival.  "I 
told  them  that  I  had  accepted  another  position  up  here, 
Barney,  but  I  didn't  say  that  I  had  had  to  apply  for 
it  myself !" 

The  young  engineer's  brown  eyes  traveled  from  one 
to  another  of  them  and  finally  rested  on  Oliphant  Gilder- 
sleeve. 

"Jane  has  promised  to  become  my  wife,"  he  said 
simply. 

There  was  a  moment  of  stunned  silence,  and  then 
Andrew  Geddes  burst  out  irrepressibly. 

"Preposterous,  young  man!  We'll  admit  that  it  is 
through  you  her  property  was  saved,  but  she's  a  Gilder- 
sleeve " 

"And  he  is  the  son  of  J.  Barnaby  Hoyt,"  Ollie  in- 
terrupted suddenly.  "However,  that  wouldn't  matter 
to  either  of  us,  Uncle  Andrew.  He  has  proven  up  here 
that  he  is  better  able  to  take  care  of  her  than  any  of 
us  have  been,  and  she's  proved,  too,  that  she  knows  her 
own  mind.  I  am  glad,  Barney  Hoyt,  although  it  means 
losing  my  little  sister.  You'll  be  good  to  her,  I  know." 

He  extended  his  hand  and  the  engineer  grasped  it. 

"I  shall  work  for  her  and  love  he*  all  the  rest  of 


THE  SINGLE  TRACK  285 

our  two  lives,  Mr.  Gildersleeve !"  he  announced  solemnly. 

Persis  stooped  impulsively  and  kissed  Jane. 

"I  suspected  something  like  this,  dear.  You  talked 
to  me  a  little  when  you  were  half -delirious,  you  know. 
But  I  thought  that  you  meant  to  return  with  us  and 
have  Mr.  Hoyt  follow  when  the  road  was  finished." 

She,  too,  held  out  her  hand  to  Hoyt,  and  after  a 
moment  Andrew  Geddes  and  Adam  MacLeod  followed 
suit,  while  Peddar  looked  on  in  shocked  amazement. 

"You've  taken  on  an  awful  responsibility,  young 
man!"  MacLeod  remarked  warningly.  "I  know  by  ex- 
perience that  she'll  get  what  she  wants  in  everything 
and  you  may  as  well  save  your  breath  as  try  to  dissuade 
her." 

"But  that  is  what  I  want,  too.  To  give  her  everything 
that  she  desires,  always,  if  it  is  in  my  power,"  the  radi- 
ant young  man  averred. 

"I  misdoubt,  in  spite  of  such  a  daft,  reckless  speech 
that  Janetta  has  found  her  master  at  lasi."  Andrew 
Geddes  took  off  his  glasses  and  wiped  them  clear  of  the 
sudden  mist  which  had  fogged  them.  "There's  one  little 
detail  that  has  seemed  to  escape  the  minds  of  you 
two  children,  however;  has  it  occurred  to  you  that  there 
is  no  minister  nearer  than  Juneau,  and  we  sail  to- 
morrow." 

Jane  looked  questioningly  at  Barney  Hoyt,  who  nodded 
in  laughing  reassurance. 

"We  have  a  thoroughly  authorized,  perfectly  good 
preacher  right  here  in  Katalak,"  he  announced.  "I  had 
a  talk  with  him  yesterday  and  although  he  was  somewhat 


286  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

reluctant  to  reveal  his  true  character,  I  managed  to  per- 
suade him.  Here  he  is  now,  come  to  pay  his  respects." 

They  glanced  up  as  two  men  made  their  appearance, 
supporting  between  them  a  third  whose  head  and  eyes 
were  bandaged. 

"Heavens,  what  a  wedding!"  groaned  Persis.  "Won't 
you  give  up  the  idea  of  being  married  at  once,  and  come 
home  and  have  a  real  function  in  St.  Jude's,  Janey?" 

Jane's  declination  was  lost  in  Ollie's  sudden  exclama- 
tion: 

"But  these  men — they  arc  only  Superintendent  Bowers, 
and  Harve  Dugdale  and  your  storekeeper,  Jud  Pittinger, 
Janey!  Surely  you  cannot  mean " 

"The  Reverend  Judson  Pittinger,"  Jane  corrected  him 
softly.  "He  has  taken  care  of  me  and  guarded  me 
from  all  harm  when  he  thought  me  just  Peddar's 
daughter,  and  I'd  rather  have  him  than  the  rector  of 
the  most  famous  church  in  Christendom!  I'm  so  glad 
you  came,  Mr.  Bowers;  please  put  Harve  Dugdale  here 
in  this  big  chair.  Mr.  Pittinger,  have  you  come  to  tell 
me  that  you  will  officiate  for  us  to-morrow?" 

"It  will  be  the  greatest  honor  of  my  life,  ma'am,"  he 
responded,  and  when  the  embarrassed  congratulations  of 
the  newcomers  had  been  delivered,  he  turned  to  Ollie 
and  Andrew  Geddes  as  they  stood  a  little  apart.  "I  have 
my  papers  here,  gentlemen,  and  a — a  tribute  from  my 
last  congregation.  I'm  only  a  plain  preacher,  but  if  so 
be  that  you  think  I  am  fitted " 

"Oh,  are  we  all  crazy?"  cried  Persis  once  more. 
"This  is  wonderfully  romantic,  of  course,  but  for  a  girl 
brought  up  as  Janetta  Gildersleeve  has  been,  to  be 


THE  SINGLE  TRACK  287 

married  in  a  dreadful  little  shack  like  this,  with  no 
orange  blossoms  or  organ  recital,  or  bridesmaids  or 
supper " 

Jud  Pittinger  turned  mildly  deprecating  eyes  upon  her. 

"Ma  Heaney  has  the  orange  blossoms  left  from  one 
of  her  own — er — ceremonies,  and  she  and  the  Chinamen 
from  the  de  Luxe  eating-house  are  getting  up  the  finest 
supper  that  Katalak  ever  saw,  ma'am.  The  boys  have 
fixed  up  a  band  amongst  'em — you  could  hear  'em  prac- 
ticin'  right  now,  if  the  wind  was  this  way,  and  as  for  the 
weddin'  takin'  place  here " 

"We're  going  to  be  married  in  the  new  storage  ware- 
house," Jane  announced  in  low  but  very  firm  tones.  "It's 
the  only  building  in  town  that  will  hold  all  the  boys,  and 
I  want  them  there,  every  one!  They're  all  friends  of 
mine,  and  they  risked  their  lives  for  Ollie  and  me ;  they 
have  earned  the  right !" 

"But  if  you  would  only  listen  to  reason !"  Persis  urged 
insistently.  "What  can  we  say  to  everyone  at  home? 
If  you  would  only  return  with  us  and  let  Mr.  Hoyt  fol- 
low when  the  road  is  done,  you  would  never  have  to 
lead  this  rough,  dreadful  sort  of  life  again.  I'm  sure 
Mr.  Geddes  or  Ollie  could  use  their  influence  and  get 
hirn  in  some  big  firm  as  consulting  engineer  or  some- 
thing in  town  and  you  could  live  as  you  have  always 
been  accustomed  to." 

Jane  laughed  up  into  her  lover's  eyes.  Then  her  small 
chin  came  out  firmly  and  she  turned  to  Persis. 

"I  told  you  that  we  didn't  even  think  alike  any  more !" 
she  said.  "I  don't  care  what  you  tell  the  people  at  home, 
nor  what  they  think.  I'm  out  of  their  lives  for  good 


288  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

or  unless  Barney  has  to  enter  a  firm  of  that  sort  some- 
time, but  it  must  come  through  his  own  efforts  alone. 
We  want  no  preferment  or  influence  or  graft.  He  is  his 
own  man,  thank  God,  and  he  will  be  so  always!  We 
are  going  to  stay  here  until  the  road  and  the  terminal 
are  finished  and  then  we  are  going  on  together  to  the 
next  real  job  that  offers.  I  shall  share  with  him  what- 
ever comes  throughout  our  lives!" 


From  the  point  of  view  of  Ma  Heaney,  at  least,  the 
wedding  was  the  greatest  social  event  that  Alaska  had 
ever  witnessed.  Under  her  able  direction  the  boys  had 
scouted  around  the  country  for  every  flower  that  reared 
its  stunted  but  determined  head,  and  the  interior  of  the 
storehouse  was  a  huge  bower  of  hemlock  and  Sitka 
spruce  branches.  Bighorns  and  woodland  caribou  turned 
on  piles  over  the  slow  fires  in  the  storage  yard  for  the 
barbecue,  and  there  were  good  things  galore  made  by 
the  Chinese  cooks  whose  impassivity  was  for  once  lost 
in  expansive  smiles. 

Mrs.  Cheever,  making  the  best  of  the  situation,  un- 
earthed a  white  gown  from  her  husband's  bursting  suit- 
case, and  in  spite  of  her  remonstrances  Jane  had  in- 
sisted upon  wearing  not  only  Ma  Heaney's  slightly  di- 
lapidated orange  blossoms,  but  a  veil  of  doubtful  origin 
which  that  lady  had  produced  at  the  final  moment. 

As  if  desiring  to  make  up  for  the  eternal  drizzle  of 
her  courtship,  the  sun  shone  in  all  its  splendor  for  the 
little  bride  as  she  walked  on  Andrew  Geddes'  arm  be- 


THE  SINGLE  TRACK  289 

neath  turquoise  skies  to  the  transformed  storehouse. 
Within,  she  passed  up  the  narrow  lane  between  the 
solidly  packed  masses  of  men  who  had  fought  for  her 
so  well,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  she  was  conscious  of  the 
adoring  faces,  Slavic  and  Latin,  yellow  and  white  and 
brown,  which  were  turned  with  one  accord  to  her.  Her 
own  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  temporary  altar  of  bunt- 
ing-draped packing  cases  where  Jud  Pittinger  waited 
and  where  before  him  stood  her  brother  and  that  other, 
the  man  whom  she  had  once  called  an  "I.  W.  W.  Thing!" 

But  it  was  all  over  now.  Ma  Heaney  had  clasped 
her  in  a  stout  embrace  and  shed  copious  tears  of  happi- 
ness upon  her,  the  feasting  and  celebrating  were  done 
and  Jane  and  Barney  Hoyt  stood  alone  together  on  the 
wharf  watching  a  great  steamer  disappear  in  the  soft 
haze  where  blue  sky  and  bluer  water  met. 

There  were  tears  in  her  eyes  and  she  clung  rather 
tightly  to  Barney's  hand,  but  a  little  April  smile  curved 
her  lips. 

"You  are  sure,  my  darling,  that  you  won't  regret? 
You  are  sure  that  the  time  will  not  come  before  I  can  take 
you  back  to  it,  when  you  will  long  for  the  old  things 
and  the  old  life  ?"  He  spoke  very  softly  and  low.  "It  is  a 
rough  road  that  you  have  chosen  to  travel  with  me;  a 
lonely  and  weary  and  monotonous  one!  Your  highway 
has  always  been  smooth  and  pleasant,  peopled  with 
familiar  friends  and  gay  with  amusement  and  joyous 
excitement.  It  would  kill  me  to  think  that  I  had  taken 
you  from  all  that  if  you  tire,  dear!" 

For  answer  Jane  turned  him  gently  away  from  the 
last  smudge  of  smoke  which  lingered  on  the  horizon 


290  THE   SINGLE   TRACK 

and  pointed  up-country,  where  two  long  lines  of  rails 
gleamed  side  by  side  until  they  met  and  vanished  in  the 
foothills. 

"A  rough  road  with  you?"  she  repeated.  "A  shining 
one,  Barney !  The  old  life  and  the  girl  who  lived  it  are 
both  dead.  They  may  keep  their  crowded  highway,  but 
I  have  chosen  well;  the  single  track,  with  you!" 


FINIS. 


,.!E?,9i!MRN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     000127092     5 


